Primal Hunter
by Takashidaimao
Summary: Concern regarding Dinobots hunting habits leads to a rather unusual confrontation with the Maximal leader. Reviews are appreciated. Optimus X Dinobot Mpreg
1. Apex Prey

"I'm stepping out for a hunt. Do not disturb me unless it is a dire emergency."

The snarling voice of the large bot carried across the quiet bridge of the Axalon, his announcement instantly grabbing the attention of all present. Four pairs of optics averted from glowing display consoles to glance curiously over shoulder plates. Optimus observed in silence for a moment as the warrior approached the ships exit port, nonchalantly reverting to his raptor form as he strode past. "Alright, just be sure you're back in time for your patrol." The leader reminded dismissively. Dinobot replied with a low growl, bearing his fangs aggressively. After a moment he seemed to reconsider his stance, turning away as the exit opened. "Of course…" With that he left, a momentary awkwardness lingering behind in his wake. The four bots exchanged glances before returning to their duties. It didn't take long for the stillness to be broken once again.

"Say… has anyone else noticed Dinobot acting kinda strange lately?" Cheetor wondered aloud, looking across control panels at the three older Maximals. It was of course the shortest of the group whose wit seemed to be the quickest. "'Lately?' Heh! You kiddin'? Old Lizard Lips' core processor was manufactured by 'Abnormal Industries'. He starts actin' normal, _then_ I'll worry." Rattrap joked, earning a stifled chuckle from the young feline. "C'mon, Rattrap! I'm trying to be serious! I mean, don't you think he's been hunting an awful lot lately? It's been almost every day for the past week. He always comes back to base dripping with boars' blood and with an attitude worse than when he left! Doesn't that concern you even a little?" At that, Rattrap merely shrugged his shoulders. "Hey, _you_ always come back drenched in tha stuff after a hunt, but do ya hear me complainin'?" Cheetors' optics narrowed at the rat. "Not _drenched_ in it. And I hunt deer, not boar. Those things are vicious! Last time I even got _near _one it thrashed my tail halfway across to Pred' territory."

"Perhaps he's decided it's better to recharge his fuel cells by ingesting organic matter rather than sneaking energon from the Axalon's emergency stores. Something a _certain bot_ could stand to learn from in my opinion." The gruff tone of the old science officer's vocal processors interjected, his optics remaining focused on the screen in front of him. Normally Rhinox would keep his nose out of the often witless banter of those two, but he couldn't pass up the chance to voice the concern he'd had lately. Of course everyone knew who that 'certain bot' was, including the very one in question. "Eh, very funny, Horn-head…" Rattrap grumbled to himself.

No sooner had he returned his attention to his monitor did the computer chime to life. "Alert; Predacon energy signatures detected in Sector Seventeen." The monitor then proceeded to prattle out coordinates in the same monotone, unfazed voice. Rattrap vented out a heavy sigh. Great. Just what the mechanic ordered. "Speakin' of food, tonight's menu consists of a four-star Pred' buffet, all ya can eat!" Rattrap announced, brass-tinted fingers darting across the control panel in front of him. Cheetor let out a frustrated groan. "Aw, man! Isn't that where we set up our new com tower? We can't let them take it out! It took us forever to drag all that equipment out there!" At that Rhinox shook his head. Apparently the time it took him to develop and build the slagging thing in the first place wasn't an important factor to the young scout.

Optimus, who'd been silently observing Rhinox's monitor over his shoulder, finally decided to join the conversation at this point. "I'm more worried they'll bug the thing and intercept our communications again. Either way, I'm not about to let them get their claws on it." The commander replied before activating his communicator. "Optimus to Dinobot; Your hunting trip is going to have to wait. Report to base and prepare for combat." Several seconds passed. Nothing but static across all channels. He tried again. "Dinobot! Respond!" he shouted this time, his growing aggravation apparent in his voice. Still nothing. There was no reasonable explanation for his com silence. He'd only left ten minutes ago, not enough time for him to have found suitable prey and certainly not long enough for him to have wandered out of range. He was either ignoring his communicator or simply turned it off. Either was outright defiance. He tapped his communicator one more time.

"Tigatron, Airazor; I need you in Sector Seventeen on the double. I'm sending you rendezvous coordinates now. Prepare for battle and wait for us there." This time, the response was immediate. It was the smooth bass of Tigatron vocal processors that replied. "On our way." That was enough to account for the both of them, as Airazor was almost never far from the white tiger. It also served to confirm that there wasn't a damned thing wrong with the coms. "Hey, what about Choppaface? You just gonna let him chase wild pigs all day while we all get our exhaust vents handed to us by tha Pred's?" Rattrap complained as he finished his inspection of his sidearm. Cheetor folded his arms across his chest plate, narrowing his optics at the rat. "_Told_ you he was acting strange!" Optimus vented a sigh. "I'll deal with Dinobot later. Our priority right now is that com tower! Now move out!"

* * *

><p>It was dusk before the Maximals returned to base. They'd managed to keep the Predacons from doing any permanent damage to the tower, but not without taking damage themselves. The initial strike only consisted of Blackarachnia, Scorponok, Waspinator, and Terrorsaur, but it wasn't long before the other three Pred's showed up to play. Optimus' repairs were taking the longest, as Inferno managed to back him onto a corner for a while. When the CR chambers door opened his optics focused just in time to catch Cheetor hopping off from his seat on the edge of the circular table on the bridge. Rattrap was sitting backwards in his chair at his station, apparently waiting for their fearless leader to complete his repairs. Rhinox was working on slapping together an extra defense gun for the com tower. Airazor and Tigatron had already been dispatched to keep a tight patrol of that sector, their damage having been relatively minimal.<p>

"Where's Dinobot?" Optimus demanded immediately as he pulled himself out of the chamber. Cheetor and Rattrap glanced at each other as if trying to decide who should tell him. It had been a long time since they'd seen their leader quite that mad at a teammate. "Well, eh… That's actually a real good question, Boss Monkey… He ain't here." Rattrap admitted hesitantly, massaging the back of his neck and averting optics. Cheetor glanced back up at Optimus, feeling the need to elaborate on Rattraps explanation. "The logs say Sentinel hasn't lowered the shields since we left this morning. Wherever he is he's probably still there, 'cause he never checked into base."

At this point, Optimus wasn't sure weather to be angry or concerned. He activated his communicator. "Optimus to Dinobot; report in." Static. He tried again. "Dinobot, report in immediately!" More static. He vented a frustrated sigh. Rattrap shook his head. "How much ya wanna bet Dino-breath is up to his old Pred' tricks?" The comment earned a glare from the Maximal leader. "I'm not about to jump to any conclusions just yet. Rattrap, I want you to scan for his signal. Open the range up as far as it'll go. I'll search from the skies."

"H-hey! Wait a second, Big Bot! What if Rattrap's right? He could be waiting in ambush out there or something!" Cheetor protested as Rattrap turned around in his chair to scan for Dinobot. Optimus turned to face the cat, folding arms over chest plate. "We've been over this before. Dinobot may have been a Predacon at one point, but he's one of us. Besides, ambush isn't his style." That didn't seem to fill the young soldier with much confidence, as his optics averted downward. "Yeah, well… With the way he's been acting, I'm not so sure about that anymore…"

Just then Optimus heard the entrance lift activate behind him. "Guess who's home." Rattrap commented as the lift door opened. The rat could be heard turning in his chair to more effectively heckle the Saurian. "It's about time ya came crawling back, ya sorry—_Holy slag on toast!_ What in tha Pit happened to _you?_" At that Optimus turned around, intending to chew the raptor out for ignoring orders. He was unable, as his jaw nearly dropped right off his face.

Dinobot was quite a sight to behold. Already in robot form, absolutely caked in mud, bright red blood still dripping from his talons. He seemed to be keeping his left side facing the wall, but even through all that mess he couldn't hide the twisted metal just below his chest plate. Everyone's optics were fixed wide on the bot, unable to believe the state he was in. He said nothing, merely strode slowly past towards the interior of the ship, bypassing the CR chamber altogether, likely headed for his quarters. A stunned silence fell across the bridge. Eventually, it was Cheetor who sprang back to life first.

"See? I told you!" Rattrap looked around, as if trying to reprocess what just walked through. "Wh-what tha Slag? I thought all tha Pred's were at _our_ party!" Optimus knelt down next to the thin trail of red, brown, and blue that Dinobot had left behind. Rhinox left his work to kneel next to him. "That's not _boars'_ blood…" the science officer informed in a low tone. Optimus reached down, swiping a finger across a thick trail of blue and holding it up to inspect. "Neither is this…" Servo fluid. It had to be from the damage the raptor was trying to hide. Optimus quickly rose to his feet. Enough was enough. He had to get to the bottom of this. Fast.

* * *

><p>The trail was easy enough to follow, though Optimus had already guessed where it would lead. The doors to the raptors quarters were wide open. Highly unusual, given his preference for privacy. They slid shut behind the Maximal leader at his silent command. Dinobots talons were balled into tight fists against the surface of his desk, the bot staring vacantly downward as he vented slow, heavy breaths. Optimus approached with caution, knowing better than to sneak up behind the raptor under even the best of conditions. These were far from best conditions. However, even as the gorilla plucked a tuft of long brown mane from between scaled plates, the other bot never lashed out at him as was expected. In fact, he didn't seem to notice him there at all. Optimus inspected the fur, his optics darting down to the damage on the warrior's side. It looked as if someone – or rather something- had latched onto him and twisted the metal like a knife in a wound.<p>

"A _lion_ did this to you?" Optimus questioned, his voice very calm, being sure to show no signs of aggression. As far as he was concerned he was talking to a ticking time bomb, and he had no idea just how much time was left. A low growl emanated from Dinobots vocal unit, but there was still no true sign of aggression. "As if I would give a _mammal_ the satisfaction of damaging _me_. The lion was but my second quarry. _This_ was the work of the… _Crocodile_…" Optimus vented a sigh, shaking his head. Well, that explained the mud at least. But two in one day? Of course those were probably just the ones he'd mentioned so far. "You've needed to eat this much?"

At that Dinobot straightened his posture slightly, glancing over his shoulder plate. "The vultures are getting rather plump, are they not?" In other words his prey of late had become little more than a donation to the local scavengers. "Then you're hunting for _sport_?" Another growl, this time a bit more defensive. "No. Not _sport_ precisely. Rather a distraction from more… _Primal_ urges…" Optimus raised a brow plate at that one. "'Primal urges?'" he repeated mostly to himself. "How long has this been going on?" he asked, though the symptoms of Dinobots behavior hinted at the most probable source. The warrior hesitated to reply. It wasn't in his nature to talk about personal matters. "Since the… _incident_regarding our energon shields being stolen…"

Optimus recalled instantly what Dinobot was talking about. The Predacons had stolen the Axalon's energon shielding system, forcing the Maximals to remain in their beast modes even on base. Eventually the instincts of their beast forms overtook their logic circuits, rendering them little different from their animal counterparts. If it weren't for Tigatron, who spent almost all his time in the wilds and knew how to control those instincts, they'd be mere trophies on Megatrons wall right now. Optimus assumed there were no more issues once the problem was resolved. Apparently he was mistaken.

"That was months ago. I hadn't noticed anything until these past few weeks." He commented, folding his arms across his chest plate as if waiting for an explanation. Dinobot let out another low rumble, optics staring down at his desk again as if ashamed. "They've grown _exponentially_ stronger recently. Hunting used to calm the hunger, if only for a few solar cycles. Now, however… It doesn't seem to be working anymore… I've even tried more challenging prey. _Dangerous_ prey. Nothing helps…" Optimus nodded slowly, having a fairly good grasp of the big picture now. He was pretty sure he knew what was going on. "That explains why you're going after apex predators now. What it doesn't explain is why you didn't answer my call to battle earlier today. If it's combat you've been craving, then surely fighting the Predacons could only help—"

Optimus' words were cut short by a particularly vicious snarl. Before he had time to react Dinobot shoved him into the wall, a metallic bang resounding through the Axalon's halls. The warrior was on him in an instant, taloned hands gasping the Maximal leaders upper arms in a vice grip and pinning him against the wall. Dinobot towered over the ape, using his superior size and weight to his advantage. Optimus readied his arm cannons as dagger-like fangs were bared. "You do not seem to realize what I meant by _primal_ urges!" he roared out. Suddenly, Dinobot shoved his face into the commanders. Optimus' optics widened as he felt the warriors rough metallic lips pressed violently against his own. His sensors had barely enough time to register what was happening when the raptors leathery torso pressed heavily against his body. His spark skipped a pulse when he heard the doors locks engage. Well, _this_ was just _Prime…_


	2. Confrontations

Primal Hunter  
>By: Takashidaimao<br>Chapter 2: Confrontations

* * *

><p>"What the slag was <em>that<em>?"

A loud metallic bang echoed down the halls of the Axalon causing the young feline to jump in his seat. Rhinox looked up as well, slowly shaking his head. Well, it's not like he didn't expect it. In fact, he was rather surprised the scuffle between the two hadn't started the second Optimus stepped foot in the raptors den. At this point he was just hoping they would spare the ship in the process. Cheetor looked expectantly up at the science officer. "Shouldn't we go break them up or something?" Rattrap scoffed at that. "You wanna go get yourself scraped, be my guest. I ain't gettin' _my_ tail within strikin' distance of _that_ psychopath any time soon." Rhinox vented a sigh before returning to his work. "Let Optimus settle it on his own. Dinobot should cool his circuits once he gets the ever-living slag beaten out of him." Cheetor groaned in a mix of disappointment and worry as he stared down the hall. "Yeah, that's if Big Bot doesn't get it first…"

* * *

><p>Optimus probably would have <em>preferred<em> getting his plates kicked. At least _that_ was a situation he knew how to handle. But his current predicament? If he'd been told a week ago that he'd find himself pinned against the wall with his mouth practically welded to that of a battle-crazed Saurian he'd have likely ordered that bot to get scanned for viruses. Yet, here he was. So what exactly was he supposed to do? Blast him? Would that improve the situation or just make it worse? He could try to break free, but the keyword there was _'try'_. It was about when Dinobot forced his back harder against the wall that he resolved to try blasting him. His forearms having been left free he armed his wrist cannon, aiming for the raptors damaged side. However, just as he prepared to fire Dinobot shoved himself off the Maximal leader with a loud snarl. Optimus remained leaning against the wall venting heavily, optics fixed on the raptor as he slammed a fist into the display console on his desk, shattering the screen with an irate roar.

Optimus kept his arm cannon at the ready just in case, but it appeared to be safe for the moment. Dinobot was leaning over his destroyed computer much like he had been when the gorilla first arrived. After a long moment the door locks disengaged. "Go…" the raptor rumbled out in a low tone, never turning to look his way. Optimus disarmed his weapon, pushing himself off the wall. He took a step towards the warrior instead, earning himself a red-hot glare. "_Just go!_" Dinobot growled, talons digging into the surface of the desk as if to anchor himself there. Optimus backed off, but made no attempt for the door. Did he seriously expect him to leave after that? Just pretend nothing happened and go about his business as usual? There was no way he could do that, not when the threat of this happening again still existed. He was the commander. His crew's problems were _his _problems, and if they couldn't fix it on their own it was his duty to intervene. He vented a deep intake of air, steeling himself for what he was about to do. He had to be out of his mind.

Optimus bolted forward at sprinting speed, tackling the large bot in the side. The momentum sent him crashing into the platform that served as his bed, another loud bang practically shaking the walls around them. Dinobot lurched forward into a sitting position, emitting a ghastly reptilian hiss only to catch boot tread right in his chest plate, knocking him back down. This time an elbow joint was shoved into the raptors vocal unit before he could recover, effectively pinning him down. The warrior flashed his razor-sharp fangs, instinctively charging his optical lasers. Just as he fired the ape forced a palm against his chin, diverting his aim towards the ceiling.

"Stand down! That's an order!" Optimus barked out, which resulted in a choked growl from the pinned Maximal. After a moment his struggling eventually dissipated. The commander released the intake of air he'd been holding for practically the entire time. Well, that went well. Now for the _hard_ part. His optics narrowed at the cobalt-faced warrior, who was still staring straight up at the ceiling. He sighed. "Look, if… If I do this you'll behave normally again, right?" he asked, trying to mask his hesitation. Dinobots optics instantly widened, head snapping downward to stare at the bot standing over him. "You… You _can't_ be serious!" his vocal processor managed to squeak out from under the weight of the apes arm. Optimus eased up, raising a brow plate coyly. "Unless you'd rather I not…" His mild threat was answered by a particularly vicious snarl. "Don't you _dare _toy with me!" At that, the Maximal leader couldn't help but reveal a smirk.

Lips locked once more, but this time it was Optimus in control. Dinobot leaned forward on his elbow joints trying to deepen the kiss. He was kept at bay by the arm still barred against his neck, preventing him from advancing things farther than the ape would allow. A low growl reverberated against his lips as the raptor wrapped long taloned fingers around his head, pulling him in deeper. Optimus responded by biting the other bots lip in warning, which caused him instead to buck his torso forward eagerly. At this point the commander sought to change his strategy a bit. A continued power struggle with someone of Dinobots stature wouldn't bear pleasant results.

Relinquishing the barrier his forearm had provided against the raptors throat he slid his hand down his chest plate, fingers tracing slow lines down leathery scales. Dinobots entire body shuddered, an arm hooking around the ape's torso, claws unconsciously scraping against his back. As fingers moved down across his lower abdomen the warrior couldn't contain a rumbling moan, which in turn caused the thick black fur on Optimus' back plate to stand straight on end. He leaned further into the larger bot, his fingertips coming to a rest at the lower seam of a mud covered torso plate.

Dinobot couldn't take it any longer. He clutched the others hand in his own, long silver rib-like plates receding back to allow his torso plates to split open. Optimus broke away from the raptors eager lips as the pale blue spark light hit his face. He peered for a moment into the inner workings of the soldier, his optics lingering over his pulsating spark. Even at this short distance he felt its energy emanating towards him as if beckoning him in closer. He glanced up at Dinobot who stared at him expectantly, venting out shuddering breaths. No turning back now.

Optimus' chest plate drifted apart at the center seam, his own fluttering spark revealed. Delicate wires snaked their way out of his chest and into Dinobot, flitting back and forth in search of a port. The warriors venting increased in pace and intensity as he felt the wires gliding across the surface inside him, scanning for access points. Soon, they found what they were looking for. The initial surge of the connection was almost enough to tip the both of them over the edge. Dinobot clenched his jaw to prevent a vocal outburst, his claws grabbing onto handfuls of black fur. Optimus struggled to keep control of himself as well as maintain his dominance over the Saurian. Easier said than done. The energy flow in the circuit they'd created sent his sensors reeling. It had been so long since he'd linked with anyone that it almost felt like the first time all over again, and Dinobots high output wasn't helping matters. He wouldn't last long like this.

Suddenly the raptors back arched as he released another moan. His optics glared at the ape lying against him. Did he just increase his output to surpass his own? After a moment his optics flickered a bit, his labored venting giving way to another moan every now and then. Both bucked forward at the same moment, causing an arc to connect from spark to spark. It was Optimus who couldn't contain his outburst this time. The surge coursed through him like nothing he'd ever felt before. His internal systems began warning of imminent overload. Dinobot thrust his body forward again, causing another arc. The Maximal leader had to bury his face in the Saurian's neck to keep from shouting again.

One more euphoric surge was all the two could take. Optimus grunted into the raptors jaw line as his wires retracted back into his body, his chest plate sealing shut. He lifted himself up just as Dinobots torso plates sealed, his leathery chest still rising and falling with panting breaths. The commander crawled from on top of the larger bot, allowing him to sit up if he wanted. He didn't. Rather, he collapsed back against the now warm steel of the platform, his optics flickering offline. At first Optimus feared he may have gotten a bit carried away, but he soon caught sight of the damage to the raptors side. Oh, right. He'd forgotten about that in all the excitement. Silently, he accessed Dinobots diagnostics program. Internal repairs were mostly completed already by his own systems. At this point it was just a nasty looking mass of twisted surface metal. Still, he couldn't help but feel a pang of guilt. Taking advantage of a damaged teammate wasn't exactly something he took pride in. Still, he supposed it wasn't as bad as it looked…

* * *

><p>After lying Dinobot in a better position in his bed Optimus stepped out of the raptors quarters. As he brushed down as much of his now messy fur as he could, he made a mental note to make sure the Saurian stopped by the CR chamber before returning to duty. Primus knows he was so stubborn he'd never do it on his own accord. After he was sure he looked presentable he turned to make his way back to the bridge only to stop dead in his tracks before he took a single step.<p>

"Uhmm… Big Bot?" Oh slag… Optimus' optic twitched slightly as a pair of bright yellow ones stared up at him. He could feel the fur rising on his back plate again, this time for a _completely_ different reason. One burning question flashed across the commanders' processor; _how long had he been standing there? _The young bots optics blinked, his head tilting to the side. "Optimus? Is… Is everything alright?" Cheetor questioned hesitantly, peeking around the Maximal leader at the sealed doors that lead to Dinobots quarters. "We, umm… Heard _noises_…"

_'We?' _Oh, by the Matrix… Optimus averted his optics to the side, scratching the back of his head a bit. "Noises. Yes, well… Things got a little more… Uhh… _Physical_ than I first planned…" he explained slowly, being sure to watch his wording. He could _never _tell him what really happened, but the idea of lying to one of his own was an even worse crime than he'd just committed in his book. He had to dance around the truth as best he could, though he was positive it was all useless. The feline narrowed his optics up at the commander, making him feel as though he was staring right through him.

"So… Rhinox was _right_…" _Rhinox_ knew? Oh Primus… "You really _did_ beat the ever-living slag outta old Chopperface!" Wait… what? Optimus returned his gaze to the now excited face of the young scout. No way… "Umm… Yes! Well he, ahh… _did_ have me up against the wall for a bit, but I managed to turn it on him soon enough." He couldn't believe it! Did they really think he was _fighting_ with Dinobot that entire time? Cheetor let out an amused chuckle. "Way to go, Big Bot! I didn't know ya had it in ya!" he added, elbowing the leader playfully in the side. Optimus had to bite his lip to keep from bursting out laughing at that point. Really? _Really? _Come on, Cheetor! You're making this way too easy! Luckily the young cat decided to leave it at that. "I'm gonna go tell the others! See ya on the bridge!" he announced, bouncing excitedly on his heels. He then reverted to his cheetah form, sprinting down the hall to the command deck.

Optimus listened until he couldn't hear the distinct sound of claws racing across metal anymore. Good thing that kid was fast, because that was about the point where he just couldn't contain himself any longer. His laughter got so hysterical that he had to brace himself against the wall to keep from toppling over. Still, he couldn't decide which he found more hilarious; that Cheetor was naïve enough to completely miss what was really going on, or that he'd actually managed to take the _dominant _position while interfacing with _Dinobot_!

* * *

><p>It was mid afternoon the next day before Optimus finally woke up, yet he still felt exhausted. He forgot how much interfacing drained him, and last night turned out to be a bit more than he'd bargained for. He stretched the short hind legs of his beast mode with a grunt of procrastination. What the slag? They could deal without him for a few more minutes. The ape turned over in his bed intending to go back to sleep. Instead, his nose came into contact with something… <em>leathery<em>. His eyes snapped open to stare at the brown striped snout of a certain giant lizard.

"_Dinobot_! Primus, you nearly put me into stasis lock!" Optimus shouted as he instinctively leapt back, trying his best to calm his startled sensors. Dinobots tongue vibrated along with an amused growl, his long thin tail whipping back and forth behind him. "And what a _shame_ that would be…" The ape raised an eyebrow as he sat upright, unsure if the raptor was being sarcastic or not. He shook his head. "What are you doing in my quarters?"

"Hmph! _I_ overlooked your entering _my_ quarters without permission _last night_. I merely felt entitled to same liberty, if not but _once_…" Dinobot explained, turning his head at a slight angle so that one slitted white eye could better see the gorilla. Optimus let out a sigh. Well, he couldn't argue _that_ one… "Okay… And to _what_ do I owe this visit?" The Saurian narrowed his eyes at that, a snarl preceding his answer. "An… _Interesting_ rumor has come to my attention. Allegedly, a physical altercation between us two had resulted in my utter defeat. Care to elaborate?" There was a small tinge of challenge in Dinobots voice. Optimus couldn't help but scoff. "Ah. _That_. Cheetor overheard us, apparently. He confronted me outside your quarters, but came to that conclusion alone." He replied matter-of-factly. The raptor lowered his head slightly, one eye ridge raised. The ape sighed. "…_And_ I may have _neglected _to mention otherwise…" he corrected reluctantly.

Dinobot let out a sly chuckle. Optimus had to admit to becoming slightly unnerved at that. The raptor wasn't one to laugh. "You lied." He stated simply, amusement lacing his tone. The ape shook his head again. "I didn't _lie_. I merely… _Implied_." He added, flashing the reptile a cocky grin. This earned even more laughter from the warrior, apparently tickled pink at the notion of Optimus Primal resorting to deceit. "So… That can't possibly be the _only _reason you're here."

The Saurian's laughter ceased instantaneously, his eyes wide. He glanced sideways, as if searching the room for the proper answer. "Well?" the gorilla urged, folding his long arms across his chest. The dinosaur began to fidget a little, still avoiding eye contact. "Ahh… I do not _typically_ make a habit of… '_Crawling back'_…" Optimus smiled again at that. He glanced at his computer console, noting the time. Ah, why the slag not? The others could wait a while longer. He stood up, transforming into his robot form as he did. He caught Dinobot flicking his tail back and forth excitedly before following his lead. The commander raised a brow plate. "I'll try to take it easier on you this time." He teased as two leather-plated arms draped themselves around his shoulders. Dagger-like teeth were bared in what Optimus could only assume to be an attempt at an actual _smile_. "Don't you _dare_…"


	3. Gamblin' Rat

Primal Hunter  
>By: Takashidaimao<br>Chapter 3: Gamblin' Rat

* * *

><p>The pitter-scratch of bald paw pads against cold steel made the small gray-furred animal twitch with each step. The noise was inaudible beyond a few feet, but that wasn't quiet enough for the rat. As a sniper and infiltration specialist he'd always followed one principal rule; if <em>you<em> can hear you, the _enemy _can hear you. Silence was golden in Rattraps line of work, which is predominantly why he got all his wise cracks out of his system when he had a full audience. Right now he was on a mission. Coming to a viewing port the rat stood on his haunches to peer outside through thick tempered glass. It was still dark. He should have time. He scurried off down the hall hoping everyone on the ship was still too deep in sleep mode to hear his little claws scraping against the floor. He slowed his pace as his destination came into visual range, now being the worst time for him to be discovered. He glanced around, checking all corners. This may be the Axalon, but considering what he was planning he might as well be deep in the smoldering bowels of the Darksyde.

Approaching the door the rat stood on his haunches again, sliding a small panel upwards on the wall to the left side. Those little pink hands worked quickly, tugging at wires and rearranging circuits. Seconds later he heard the door locks disengage. He was in. He took a deep breath. Into the snakes den, such as it was. Slowly as to not wake the resident of the room the intruder slid the door apart. A little black nose was the first to enter, sniffing the air instinctively for signs of predators. His ears perked up scanning for the telltale sound of ragged reptilian snoring. Nothing. Ears immediately folded back. That couldn't be good. The raptor was awake. He just knew it. Pulling his nose back, eyes snapping shut, Rattrap curled up in a little ball to await the inevitable gutting that was sure to come. After a few seconds a single obsidian eye popped open. What's this? He was still alive? Cautiously he advanced forward, poking his head through the doorway and glancing around. The entire room, the bed especially, was vacant. No way…

Rattrap scurried in leaving the door open a crack. Wherever Choppaface was he didn't expect him to stay very long this time of night. He had to work fast. He started with the console on the Saurian's desk. Security was easy enough to get past. Ol' Lizard Lips probably didn't figure anyone would be suicidal enough to break into his quarters, much less go through his files. Much to the rodent's disappointment, the former Predacons external database was used surprisingly sparingly. There was little to be had besides old repair logs. Well, that was no fun. Looks like he'd have to do this the old fashioned way.

That little black nose was put back to work sniffing around the floor for something, _anything _that could give him a lead. An out of place scent lead him on a winding trail leading towards the raptors bed. He scurried underneath for a few moments before finding the source of the smell. At first it looked as if nothing was there. He focused his eyes, optical scanners zooming in and highlighting what appeared to be several strands of synthetic black fur.

Before Rattrap got the chance to wonder how something like that even got there, a dull metallic thud just on the periphery of his audio scanning range caused his eyes to widen and his ears to fold back. "Oh slag…" he mumbled aloud to himself before making a break for the door. After squeezing his body through he slid it shut and took off down the hall. He'd return later to fix the wires behind the side panel. He only came to a stop once he'd rounded the corner to the next hall. Panting to catch his breath, the mouse chanced a peek around the corner. All was silent down the hall. That was strange… He could have _sworn_ he heard something just now. Suddenly there was movement to his left. The rat darted around the corner and pressed his back against the wall just as a door slid open. Rattrap recognized the heavy footsteps of the large brown raptor as he stepped out into the hall, a low growl reverberating off the walls. The rodent remained frozen in place as the tip of a long leathery snout emerged past the corner, long fangs visible behind slightly parted lips. Miraculously Dinobot never fully peered around the wall. Rattrap let out the breath he'd been holding as the tip of a long thin tail whipped around into view before slithering out of sight. As heavy steps faded off down the hall, the rat chanced a glance around the corner just in time to catch a weary raptor wandering into his quarters. He didn't seem to notice the fact that his door locks weren't operational. That or he was just far too exhausted to care from the looks of it. Once the coast was clear Rattrap lowered back down to all fours, emerging out into the corridor once again. It wasn't until he looked up at the door Dino-breath had come out of that he realized which end of the hall he was on. "Holy tap-dancin' Primus… That's _Optimus' _quarters!"

* * *

><p>Rattrap was unusually silent the next morning at monitor duty, brass digits clacking against keyboard being the bulk of his conversation. Cheetor had tried many times to start their usual banter only to be dismissed with often single-word replies. Rhinox made no attempt himself, as he intended to enjoy the peace and quiet for once. It was pushing noon when Cheetor finally decided to force the rat into some form of conversation, even if it had to be an argument. "Hmph. Big Bot should go a round with you like he did <em>Dinobot<em>. Maybe then you won't be acting so weird…" The reaction was, needless to say, quite a bit more explosive than the feline had planned on. The shorter bot slammed his hands down on the console in front of him before jumping up to his feet, jabbing a finger of warning just inches from Cheetors nose.

"Don't… you… _EVER_ so much as _joke_ like that! Do you have _any_ idea just how _wrong_ even tha _thought_ of that is?" Rattrap shrieked, earning the attention of the entire room. Cheetors optics were wide in shock, genuinely having no idea what he said to set off his teammate like that. Rhinox was prepared get up out of his chair to aide the young scout if needed. Optimus, having been out of range of the felines comment, marched over to get an explanation for the sudden outburst. "Is there a problem over here?" the commander questioned sternly, his ape-like fists resting against his waist. Rattrap stared up at their leader for a long moment before finally settling back down into his chair. "Ain't nothin' you gotta worry 'bout, Boss Monkey. Just a weird nightmare I had last night… Or _somethin'_…" he mumbled before turning around to continue his work. Optimus narrowed his optics down at the rat, but didn't pursue the subject further.

It wasn't long after that when the entrance lift activated, its hydraulic whine practically echoing through the silent command deck. Rattrap glared back over his shoulder plate as the large lizard strode in looking a shade browner than he normally did. The raptor shook his long body, spraying the rest of the crew with muddy water and earning several groans of complaint. "Patrol of Sector Four complete." Dinobot reported, one slitted eye staring ruefully up at the commander. Optimus vented out a sigh, brushing the filth from his fur-covered shoulder plate and shaking his head. "Thank you. Now go clean yourself up." The reply was a low growl of compliance as the dinosaur made his way towards the back of the ship. Once the raptor was gone Cheetor turned around in his chair.

"Hey, how'd you manage to convince Dinobot to patrol Sector Four for the past _three times_ in a row?" the young scout asked with an amused grin. Rattrap turned to look at their leader as well, arms folded loosely over his chest plate. He'd like to hear the answer to that as well. Sector Four was a mess of swamps and marshlands, and arguably the most undesired area to patrol on foot right after the lava pits of Sector Seven. Normally if Airazor was too preoccupied to do it, the rest of them were so unwilling they'd have to resort to drawing lots to decide who went. Optimus merely shrugged the question off.

"I asked him nicely." He stated simply, causing Cheetor to tilt his head in confusion. After that, everyone returned to their work, the feline shaking his head as he did. "Since when did 'asking nicely' work on _Dinobot?_" he questioned aloud, mostly to himself. Rattrap shook his head, optics remaining on screen, though he didn't seemed focused on it. "S'like I told ya, kid. He starts actin' _normal_, that's when I worry…" And worry he did. Enough to risk breaking into the raptors quarters at night. It was just too fishy. Dinobot acts like a rabid wolverine for weeks, then Optimus gets into one little scuffle with him and _magically_ everything's kosher? There was no way he was buying _that_ steaming pile of slag. The most troubling part of it all was how _obedient_ Dinobot was acting. Every time Optimus gave him an order since their 'fight' a month ago, he'd obeyed with little if any protest. You don't just flip someone like that overnight, yet their fearless leader seemed to have done just that. Rattrap had a fairly good idea of how he did it. Problem was, he had no proof to go on, just hints. Perhaps it was time he got something more _concrete_.

* * *

><p>It was late, going on midnight. The Axalon had fallen into a serene stillness as most of its crew had already retired for the night. <em>Most<em> of the crew. A door slid open, a tall bot stepping out into the hall. The warrior scanned his surroundings briefly with his optics before casually starting down towards the other end of the barracks. He didn't get far, as the first door he passed slid open behind him.

"Hey there, Dino-breath… Goin' ta get yer _bearings_ waxed?" Dinobot stopped dead in his tracks, optics wide. He turned catching sight of the rat-faced bot as he leaned against the outer threshold of his quarters, a smug smirk plastered across his lips. The raptor bared his fangs, a low growl emanating from his vocal unit. "I beg your _pardon?_" he hissed out, narrowing his optics at the pretentious little vermin. Well, _that_ certainly got his attention. Now he just had to run with it. "Oh, it's nothin', really. I just been… _noticin'_ some things. Like how you an' tha Boss Monkey been spendin' a lotta _time_ together lately… At _night_… In his _quarters_…" At that the raptor let out another growl, taloned fists clenching at his sides. Rattraps grin widened. The little fishie had taken the bait. Now to reel him in. "Y'know, have ya ever noticed how well sound carries in tha Axalon at night? I tell ya, you could hear a pin drop. Or a _Saurian moanin'_…" Yes, it was a bluff. Probably one of the biggest he's ever tried to pull. It was a high-risk bet, and if he were to lose…

Dinobot lurched forward with a vicious snarl, wrapping his long fingers around Rattraps neck. The rodent could practically feel the chips rattle loose in his head as it was slammed against the wall with a sickening crack. One of the raptors dual thumbs pressed hard against the rats jaw, forcing him to look up into the livid cobalt face of a warrior twice his size. _'That's it. I'm gonna die.'_Rattrap thought, turning his optics offline. He didn't want to have to watch the carnage in addition to feeling it.

"Who have you told?" It was spoken in a hushed tone, a low rumble the only lingering hint of the threat to snap his neck. One optic blinked back online, staring up at the now averted glare of the violent Saurian. Wait… It _worked_? And it was _true?_ Somewhere deep down Rattrap was hoping he was completely off the mark for once, but no. For the past _month_ Dinobot and Optimus had been… Uhhgg, he didn't want to think about it! Still, this little confrontation wasn't over. He had to maintain control of this, which meant not showing his surprise at the revelation. He had to keep his composure.

"Who, _me_? Spread a nasty _rumor_? Why, Choppaface! You otta know me better'n _that_!" Rattrap replied in a tone so ostentatious that Dinobot nearly snapped his neck on principal. The rat let out a light chuckle that betrayed a bit of his nervousness. "I ain't told no one. _Yet_. But, ehh… Who knows? My memory ain't what it used ta be. If I ain't _reminded_ every now an' then, I might just '_forget'_ how important a secret this is to you…" The raptor narrowed his optics. So, _that_ was his game after all. _Blackmail_. He had to admit, a move like that required bearings of chrome-plated steel. Rattrap was slid up the wall to optic-level with the warrior, which again was about twice his normal height. The rat flinched a bit as another growl rumbled just inches from his face.

"You gamble with _high stakes_, Vermin!" he hissed out, earning another squeak from the mouse. "I must confess… I find myself _impressed._" Wait… what? Suddenly the rat felt himself plummeting to the floor as the raptor released his grip. Dinobot backed away a few steps as Rattrap picked himself up off the ground. He folded taloned hands together behind his back, red optics narrowed at the small bot. "I never dreamed a plot of this caliber could develop from the processor of a _rodent_, yet here we stand… However, I do believe you've _overlooked _a few key elements." He spoke calmly and evenly, never baring his fangs, never growling with pent-up aggression. Rattrap raised a brow plate. What was he up to now?

"Firstly, you seem to be under the impression that the revelation of this secret is the _worst_ dishonor I could face. Yet I would sooner _boast_ to the _Predacons_ of my relations with Primal than relinquish myself to the likes of _you_!" The last part was snarled as usual, lips curling instinctively to reveal dagger-like fangs. He soon returned to his calm demeanor. "Secondly… While you may _'forget'_ this is a secret of my own, you seem to never have _acknowledged_ that it is also that… of _Optimus'_…"

A pleased smirk wafted across Dinobots face as the rat froze mid-vent. Rattrap could be seen glancing around, rethinking his stance on the whole deal. Soon he straightened himself up, folding his arms across his chest plate. "Y'know, ehh… I gotta say ya make an _interestin'_ point there, Choppaface… I mean, I wouldn't wanna _embarrass_ our Fearless Leader or anything. Heh! An' let's face it, hookin' up with _you's_ gotta be one of tha most damaging things a guy can _do_ to his reputation." Rattrap admitted slowly, scratching the back of his neck. Dinobot raised a brow plate. "I'm glad we've come to an _agreement_…" The rat nodded furiously at that. "Right! We'll just keep this li'l chat to ourselves then…" With that, Rattrap slipped around the Saurian and back into his quarters, the door snapping shut. Dinobot was left to linger in the silence of the hall, a single quote from the rat prominent in his mind. He then turned on his heel to proceed down the hall, but in the _opposite_ direction he was originally traveling.

* * *

><p>Optimus found himself pacing back and forth in his quarters, glancing every few seconds at the time display on his computer monitor. He was over an hour late. That wasn't like him. Finally, as the clock neared two hours past their scheduled meeting, the commander's patience ran out. He marched out of his room and down the hall heading straight for the raptors quarters. There was no need for him to go digging through a control panel as Rattrap had, as he was the only other one granted access. The door slid open to reveal a vacant room. The ape could be heard letting out a frustrated growl, though nowhere near as vicious as that of whom he sought.<p>

"Computer; locate unit Dinobot." He could hear the Axalon's scanners ping to life in his head as the computer found his target. "Unit Dinobot located. Current position; Sector Zero." The monotone voice informed before prattling off coordinates as usual. Sector Zero? That was the area around the ship. He was close, but… Outside?

* * *

><p>Dinobot was doing some pacing of his own, but along side the river located several meters below the crash site of the Axalon. His tail whipped back and forth behind him as he recalled the rats words once again. <em>'Hookin' up with you's gotta be the worst thing a guy can do for his reputation.' <em>A furious roar resounded off the canyon walls, the small hands on his forelimbs clenched into tight fists. How dare that vermin wound him so! Yet, why did he feel that was the case? Rattraps insults had never stung him so badly before. Still, he could not deny the painful truth of the statement. If the others were to discover what the two of them were doing behind closed doors their respect of their leader may well falter, a scenario the warrior knew all too well Megatron couldn't leave be. The Maximals didn't stand a chance against the Predacons if their faith in Optimus wavered in the slightest.

The raptors pained cry seemed to have summoned the source of his anguish, as he could hear Optimus' jets as they slowly lowered the bot to the ground behind him. His tail whipped violently as his fists clenched tighter. "Go!" he barked before the commander had the chance to take a step forward. "Just… Just leave me be…" he added, quieter this time. Optimus stared at Dinobots back, brow plates rising with concern as the lizards head dipped low. Depressed; that was another new face he'd not seen the proud warrior take before. "Dinobot… Has something happened?"

The dinosaur glanced briefly behind him with a single slitted eye before quickly averting his gaze again. He couldn't look at him. Not now. "We… are _not_ to see each other any longer…" he rumbled out reluctantly, snapping his eyes shut. Optimus was quite taken aback by the sudden announcement. He instantly began to wonder if he'd perhaps done something to upset the warrior without realizing. He took a step forward, opening his mouth to speak, but was cut off again before he could. "_I said leave!_… Please…"

The commander vented a sigh, keeping his distance. "If you _really_ want this to end… Fine. I'll respect your decision. However I _refuse_ to leave until I've gotten an explanation." At that, Dinobot glanced back at the stern Maximal leader, his arms folded defiantly over his chest plate. The raptor couldn't help but smile a little, but only for a second. "I cannot in good conscience allow our relationship to jeopardize our operations. When the others discover us – and they _will_ discover – your standing with them will suffer. The _mission_ will suffer. As a soldier under your command, I-""Enough!"

This time it was Optimus cutting Dinobots words short. The raptor froze, eyes wide at the Maximal leader's sudden outburst. "_That's_ what this is about? You're worried for my _reputation_? That's _ridiculous_! What brought all this on all of a sudden?" The raptor cast his gaze away, turning to face the ape. He was hesitant, but would elaborate if need be. "We were… _caught_ already… I was confronted just a few hours ago." He explained, earning a sigh from Optimus. "By whom?" the commander demanded. Dinobot puffed his chest up at that, emanating a rather offended growl. "It is _not_ in my nature to go about spouting the misdeeds of _others_."

Optimus scoffed, shaking his head. His code of honor. How could he have forgotten? "Rattrap?" he guessed. The raptor let out another low rumble. "Was I _that_ transparent?" At this point the ape thought it safe to approach a bit closer to the Saurian. "I may have initially had him on my team for his experience in demolition, but Rattrap's a _spy_ by nature. It's practically in his _programming_ to snoop where he's not welcome." Dinobot couldn't contain a small chuckle. "In other words a _rat_ weather a bot or beast."

"Look, Dinobot… I _know_ this team. While they might find our relationship _strange_ at first, I _trust_ them not to judge us by it. You've got _nothing_ to worry about, and to prove it I plan on coming clean with all this first thing in the morning." The raptor looked over the Maximal leader for a moment, noting his posture. He was serious, and there would be no changing his mind. The lizard let out a sigh. "Very well… Just so long as I am permitted to _enjoy_ our last night of secrecy to its _fullest_." Optimus smirked at the hint. "I'll see what I can do about that."

The instant Dinobot reverted to his robot form he found himself pressed against the wall of the canyon. Optimus worked quickly, his lips pressed hard against the warriors. He knew by now that that's how the raptor preferred it; with no shortage of rough play. A hand soon pressed against the abdomen of the larger bot, urging him to open up. Their kiss was broken as Dinobot stared down at the ape. "_Already?_" he questioned, a tinge of complaint in his voice. He was used to a little more foreplay than that. "Unless you'd like to explain to Rhinox in the morning why you had to drag me back to base in stasis lock." The warrior nodded, opening up his torso plates. He'd nearly forgotten about the energon exposure out there, as well as the fact that Optimus had been in his robot form a lot longer than Dinobot had. Neither of them liked to rush things, but circumstances called for it in this situation.

Their link felt a bit more charged than usual. Perhaps it was due to the energon exposure to their bare sparks. Who knew? Dinobot was just glad he didn't necessarily have to keep his outbursts quiet while outside the ship, as he found that he was rather vocal while interfacing with his commander. Optimus was finding it harder to keep control of his output, the energon surges making it near impossible to contain himself for long. Still, he tried to hang on as long as he could. That is, until the computer flashed a message across his processor; Upload Complete. His optics widened. "Wh-_what?"_


	4. Crossing The Line

Primal Hunter  
>by: Takashidaimao<br>Chapter 4: Crossing the Line

* * *

><p>Dinobot let out a groan as his optics came online. Rather than being blinded by the morning sun peering through the canyon as he'd expected, he instead found himself staring up at the ceiling in his quarters, two blackened divots reminiscent of his first night with Optimus. He made a mental note to at least cover those up later. The last thing he needed right now was Rhinox peeking into his room and finding more senseless damage to the ship. The warrior gave another tired grunt as he propped himself up, his body seeming several times heavier to him at the moment. "Computer; Diagnostics." He grumbled under his breath, resting a hand against his brow plates.<p>

"Unable to comply. Diagnostic systems; offline." It took the computer considerably longer to respond than usual, but the message itself was what worried Dinobot. "'Offline?' Explain." The raptor snarled out. Again, it was a few seconds before he got his reply. "Data Unpack in progress. Preparing to reconfigure systems. All non-essential functions have been shutdown." Since when were his diagnostic systems considered non-essential functions? And what was this about 'data unpack' and 'reconfiguration'? Wait… Could this have something to do with the message he'd gotten during his link with Optimus last night? 'Download complete'… And just what in the blazing fires of the Pit could he have downloaded from Primal?

As Dinobot went to crawl out of bed he was stopped. The Maximal leader was in sleep mode, his head resting against arms folded across the edge of the raptors bed. The warrior vented a sigh, shaking his head. Had that stubborn ape been sitting there all night? A rhetorical question. Of _course _he had. Dinobot decided there was no need to inform the commander of his current situation, giving himself the excuse that he needed his rest. Really he was just hoping to delay Optimus' plan of telling the others about their relationship, still not terribly fond of the idea. Besides, as he recalled he had an assault on a Predacon mining operation to plan for.

* * *

><p>It was an hour later when the commander finally wandered out to the bridge. Rhinox, Rattrap, and Cheetor were at their usual stations, Airazor and Tigatron on patrol as they preferred. Rattrap was noticeably avoiding Dinobots optics, the latter standing at the large circular table behind their chairs reviewing holographic projections of three dimensional maps. Optimus made his way casually over to where the warrior stood, leaning over the table as if to review the situation with him. Instead he leaned in closer to the raptor as to speak without being overheard. "You okay?" he asked in a low tone, concern apparent in his voice. Dinobot let out a low rumble, his optics scanning over his comrades for signs of eavesdropping.<p>

"I am experiencing some… _Lag_. It is nothing to be concerned about, however." He admitted once he was sure no one was prying. He'd have liked to lie and say he was fine, but in his current state he knew Optimus would see right through it. The commander vented a sigh, shaking his head. "You scared the slag out of me last night. I'd thought you'd gone into _stasis lock_, but your diagnostics said you were just in sleep mode." Dinobot let out a scoff at that. At least his diagnostics were _working_ last night. The ape narrowed his optics, having mistaken the raptors scoff for a dismissal of the subject. "I'm not going to take any chances. You could have internal system damage from the energon surges. I'm going to have Rhinox check you out before-""_NO!_"

The sudden outburst grabbed the interest of everyone present. Optimus narrowed his optics again, giving the raptor a look of warning as covertly as he could. Dinobot took a quick glance around at everyone that now stared up at him. He immediately returned his attention to the commander. "That is a _highly undesirable_ strategy. To approach in such a manner would surely give away our _position_ before we're _ready_ to strike." The raptor hissed out through gritted teeth, putting emphasis on key words so that Optimus would be sure to understand their true meaning. The ape glanced past the warrior in time to catch Rattrap give a shudder of disgust at their conversation before quickly turning around to return to work. What he _didn't_ catch was how Rhinox had taken notice of the rat's unusual reaction. The science officer gave a thoughtful glare at the two quarreling bots. "Then… Perhaps later in the, uhh… _mission_." Optimus replied trying to keep within the theme of their discussions camouflage. "_Much _later…" the warrior growled in reply.

At that the Maximal leader decided to drop the subject, feeling they had garnered too much attention already to continue in public. Dinobot was grateful, as it allowed him to return to _genuinely_ planning for the battle ahead. His concentration remained there only a moment, as nearly every sensor in his body seemed to go off at once. He clenched his jaw to prevent from shouting, his talons digging into the edge of the table until the warning signals slowly dissipated. Thankfully this managed to stay beyond the notice of the other three Maximals at their stations, but Optimus was still right next to him. The commander leaned in close once more. "Are you _sure_ you're okay?" he demanded over a whisper, giving the raptor one last chance to come clean on his own. Stubbornness would shun the opportunity however, as he gave a typical reply. "I'm _fine_." He managed to hiss out before another wave of pain betrayed his lie. This time it was strong enough to bring the mighty warrior to his knees.

It took a moment for his systems to supply a warning, as was typical since that morning. "Data unpack complete. Initializing system reconfiguration." Dinobot let out a growl that was a little more pained than he'd have liked. "_What _reconfiguration? Override, blast you!" he roared out before Optimus pulled him back up to his feet. The response to his command came just as Rhinox jumped up from his station. "Unable to comply." Not that he expected anything different, but it was worth a shot.

"Get him into the lab." Rhinox instructed as he rushed past the two. Optimus was tempted for a moment to argue that the CR chamber would be the better choice, but he got the feeling the science officer may already know what was wrong given his behavior. He was just thankful that now there'd be no more excuses for not telling at least the rhinoceros what was going on, as he was convinced it was the mysterious data transfer from last night that was causing it. Dinobot seemed to have come to the same conclusion, as he then forced himself from the commander's grasp. "This is none of your business!" he growled before having to brace himself against the edge of the table as another agonizing wave hit his sensors. Rhinox grabbed the stubborn bot by the upper arm and pulled him _up_ to optic level, being the only one of the Maximals of greater stature to do so. "Lab. _Now_." He reiterated sternly before starting off towards the ships labs with the raptor in tow.

"H-hey!" Optimus shouted suddenly as the science officer grabbed him behind the neck, dragging him unceremoniously behind like a child about to be punished. The two were tossed into a connecting room, the door slammed shut behind. Cheetor and Rattrap were left standing in the now silent bridge, the two of them staring intently at the lab door as if it were to offer them some explanation of what they just witnessed. Finally, after what seemed like ages of awkward pause, Rattrap spoke up. "Well… _That_ happened." He commented before casually strolling towards his assigned console, plopping back into his chair as if nothing happened. Cheetor stared for a moment more with mouth agape before his processor eventually seemed to click back online. "What in the pit was all _that_ about?" the feline questioned, looking towards the other bot for answers. "Don't know. Don't _wanna_ know. Wouldn't care if I _did_ know." the rat replied quickly, trying to keep his focus on the screen in front of him as much as possible. This earned a glare from the young scout. "Rattrap!" Cheetor scolded, folding arms over chest plate. The shorter bot turned around in his chair. "Look kid, for reasons I can't get into right now, anything involving _those two_is something I don't wanna touch with a ten-foot pole. Capiche?"

* * *

><p>Optimus picked himself up off the floor just as the lab door was sealed. He let out an aggravated grumble as he brushed himself off. Being dragged and tossed around like that… Last time he checked, <em>he<em>was commander of the crew! Still, he supposed that was a discussion that had to wait. Dinobot had recovered by that time and despite his condition looked more than willing to put up a fight to get out of there. The raptor made a lunge for the door with a vicious snarl. Optimus was too late to jump in front of him to stop his escape, but it seemed it wasn't necessary. As the Saurian scrambled to disengage the locks Rhinox slipped behind him, jabbing a small device into the side of the distracted bots neck. The warrior spat out an enraged hiss before his optics blinked offline, his body falling limp into the science officer's arms.

Rhinox vented out the breath he'd been holding before carrying the unconscious soldier over to the examination table. "Well, _that_ went a little better than I thought it would." He commented before getting to work, first booting up the labs diagnostic computer. Optimus stared down at Dinobot for a long moment, his brow plates furrowed in thought. "Was that really necessary?" he questioned as Rhinox hooked two wires into ports in the back of the raptors neck. "I dunno about _you_, but personally _I_ happen to be fond of how my vital circuits are arranged at the moment." The commander shook his head at that.

"He wasn't _that_ mad. I could have calmed him down." The science officer vented a sigh as he stared at the computer screen, optics scanning intently. "I'd have to agree with you on that one. Problem is, it's not his _current_ behavior that I'm worried about, it's his reaction to what I _hope_ I don't have to tell him." Optimus looked up to stare at the back of the large bot. What was that supposed to mean? Was it really _that_ bad? Before he got the chance to ask Rhinox slammed a fist down on the console. "_Slag!_ I was hoping forcing him into stasis lock would at least _delay_ it!" At that point the commander felt it necessary to see the diagnosis for himself. Unfortunately most of the details were covered up by the large 'Reconfiguration Complete' message now flashing across the entire screen. "'Reconfiguration?' For what purpose?" The question was met by a pair of stern optics. "_What_?"

"Oh, don't play _dumb_ with me!" Rhinox roared, jumping up to his feet. Optimus had to take a step back for fear of being knocked back by the large bot, his optics staring wide up in shock. The science officer vented another heavy sigh before settling back down in his chair, a hand massaging his forehead. "Optimus… Honestly, how _long_ have we known each other? You _know _you can't keep a secret from me for long." The Maximal leader could feel his spark skip a pulse at that. He looked off to the side, unsure of how to respond. Rhinox shook his head before offering one more push at the subject. "I know what you and Dinobot have been doing." Optimus vented a sigh; his last resistance it seemed before it all came spilling out.

"We were… _interfacing_ down at the bottom of the canyon last night. Towards the end I got an alert that something was successfully uploaded, but that was the first I heard about any kind of data transfer. Then he just went offline and I couldn't wake him up again. He seemed okay this morning, but just before _this_ started he'd complained about some lag in his systems." Rhinox listened in silence as Optimus explained, nodding knowingly at the conclusion. He then stood from his seat, walking over to where Dinobot lay on the examination table. "'Primes' never cease to amaze me. They got access codes and latent programs most bots wouldn't _dare_dream up…" At that Optimus took the opposite spot next to the table across from the science officer. "What do you mean?"

At this point Rhinox felt it better to show the Maximal leader than tell him. He pressed a button on one of the side panels on the exam table, activating a sort of manual override for Dinobots systems. The raptors torso plates split open exposing his bare spark as well as something else. A second chamber just below his spark had formed, its surface a seemingly delicate and thin metal. Optimus didn't understand at first, though the vastly alien structure in the warrior's abdomen didn't do much to stem his concern. Suddenly there was a dull flash of light behind the slightly transparent surface of the chamber. Then another, a bit brighter that time. After a third the pale blue light remained steady. Focusing his optics Optimus could just barely see a tiny orb of energy the size of a marble hovering in the center of the chamber. No way…

"Th-that can't be what I _think_ it is!" the commander exclaimed, wide optics staring up at his old friend. Rhinox nodded his head slowly in confirmation. "It's a _spark_."

* * *

><p>Optimus never thought a bot could laugh so hard he <em>literally<em> rolled around on the floor, but hey… he'd been wrong before. The commander waited patiently with arms folded across chest plate, a single digit tapping against his forearm. Rattrap was in absolute hysterics to the point that he risked overheating his circuits. He'd laughed so hard it was interfering with his formulation of a proper wise crack. "_Choppaface!_ Ahahahaha! With _you!_ Hahahaha! Havin' a _kid?_ Pffftahahahahaha! Karma! _KARMAAAAAHAHAHAHAHA!_" This continued for several more minutes until finally Rattrap was able to compose himself enough to crawl over to the nearest work station and drag himself up to his feet. "Y'know, when I said we could use an extra Maximal or two, this ain't _exactly_ what I meant! _Ahahahaha!_" Cheetor, who had been stuck in a moment of utter bewilderment, looked up at the ape. "Does this mean I'm not the youngest anymore?" Optimus couldn't help but let out a chuckle at that one.

"Hate ta burst yer bubble there kid, but yer _still_ at tha bottom of tha totem pole. Whaddaya think Rhinox is doin' _right now_? Prolly in there '_deletin_' the li'l light bulb as we speak. Course, that don't mean I'm ever gonna let Dino-breath live _this_ one down. " Rattrap explained once his laughing fits subsided for good. He then looked to their fearless leader for confirmation only to be shot down with a stern glare. The rat's tune never changed so fast in his life. "_Whoah_ no… _No_ no no no no…" he stammered out, holding a defensive index finger up towards the ape. One more glare was all it took for the rat to go ballistic. "Oh, fer bootin' up cold! You can't _seriously_ be thinking about _keepin'_ it!" he shrieked out, earning a sigh from Optimus.

"'Thinking about it' suggests that I haven't already made a decision." He replied in as calm a tone as he could manage at the moment. Unfortunately the rat couldn't muster such restraint. "Are you outta yer _mind?_ I dunno if ya noticed, but we're kinda in tha middle of a _war_ here! And as much as I _hate_ ta admit it, we can't afford ta have _Lizard Lips_ of all bots on tha sidelines fer _two slaggin' months_!" Well, at least two months was better than what most organics had to go through. Still, Rattrap raised a valid point. "Look, I know the circumstances are _anything_ but ideal, but there's _nothing_ we can do at this point. It's already formed a spark. It's _alive_. I'm against killing of any kind, _especially_ if _I'm _the one responsible for it having been given life in the first place."

Rattrap vented a heavy sigh, collapsing into one of the monitor station chairs. Yeah, that's what he was afraid he'd say. More or less. Finally, after another long moment of awkwardness, it was Cheetor who asked the question that I'm sure is burning in everyone's mind. "So… How's _Dinobot_ taking all this?" Optimus immediately looked away at that, a hand rubbing the back of his neck. "Yeah, about that…. He, uhh… He hasn't _exactly_ been told yet. Rhinox is supposed to be waking him up now so I can talk it over with him. He had to be sedated or he'd-"

_"I'M WHAAAAAAAAT?"_

Optimus cringed as the ferocious roar echoed through the command deck. The ape gave a shudder of dread before continuing. "Correction; he's not taking it well." It was about that moment that the lab door flew open, a distressed Rhinox rushing out. An absolutely livid Dinobot could be seen lunging after the science officer before the door was slammed shut in his face. Once the labs emergency quarantine lockdown was activated the large bot vented a sigh of relief. "Well, _that_ went a little better than I thought it would…" he grumbled out with a hint of sarcasm in his voice. The sounds that came from inside the lab were akin to those in horror movies. The thought didn't exactly fill the Maximal leader with confidence. "I'd better go in there before he tears the ship to shreds…" Optimus announced as reluctantly as ever. Suddenly, he felt a reassuring hand slap down on his shoulder. Glancing down he came face to face, much to his surprise, with _Rattrap_.

"So, Boss Monkey… You want red or white roses at your funeral?" The commander slapped a hand over his eyes, shaking his head. That'll teach him to expect words of _encouragement_ from Rattrap. He let out a heavy sigh. "Never did care for roses. I'm quite partial to _lilies_ though…" he groaned out as he approached the door, overriding the quarantine locks. Who was he kidding? He was about to be torn to pieces. Still, it had to be done. The door was only open an instant, just long enough for Optimus to slip through before slamming it shut again. The other three, as was the norm lately, were left in silence. That is, until Rattrap felt the need to activate his vocal processors.

"Alright, takin' all bets! Boy or girl?" the rat announced with a chuckle. Cheetor stared at him for a moment. "Wait a minute… Just a second ago you were acting as if it was the end of the world! What gives?" the feline questioned, narrowing optics in suspicion. "Hey, I'm just tryin' ta be… _Supportive._" Hell, why not? It was clear Optimus wasn't budging on the subject. He may as well just roll with it. Of course, his attempt at playing nice guy for once was thwarted by Rhinox. "Supportive for your _wallet _maybe…" he interjected gruffly. Rattrap merely shrugged his shoulders in his defense. The science officer shook his head, venting a sigh. "Fifty creds says it's a girl…" He added, giving in to the rat's games in the end.

* * *

><p>The instant Optimus stepped through the threshold of the lab he was grabbed by the shoulders by a pair of strong taloned hands. The commander soon found himself with his back pressed against the side of the examination table, razor-sharp teeth bared just inches from his face. "<em>Terminate it! NOW!<em>" Dinobot roared out, his grip tightening in anger. Optimus managed to wrestle one of his arms free to brace against the chest plate of the warrior, keeping him at bay. "I'm _not_ doing that and you know it!" he shouted back, earning an irate hiss. "Were it _you_ in _my_ position, you-""Wouldn't change my mind on the matter in the _slightest_!"

The shouting match seemed to come to a stop there. Dinobot glared into Optimus' optics as if trying to decide weather to continue arguing or just get it over with and gut him. He chose neither. The raptor released his hold on the ape, taking a step back as he hung his head, staring towards the ground. "It is not for a warrior to… _carry_ a _child_…" he argued weakly in little more than a whisper. Optimus let out a sigh, closing the gap that had opened up between the two of them. "I _know_… And I'm _sorry_. I never meant for this to happen. If I'd known it was even _possible_, I'd have taken more precautions to prevent it." Dinobot remained silent for a long moment, contemplating the commander's words. Feeling that he was actually getting somewhere, Optimus prepared to continue trying to convince the raptor to just accept what had happened. He was interrupted by Rattrap's voice sounding over the ships intercom. "Sorry ta break up what I'm _sure_ is a _touching_ family moment or somethin', but… Tigatron's on tha coms. Says it's urgent." Great. Right at the worst possible time. Optimus returned his attention to the raptor momentarily. "We'll discuss this properly later. For now you should probably stay in here until you've had a chance to think about this a bit more." The warrior merely nodded, stepping to the side to allow the commander to pass.

Optimus activated his communicator as he left the labs, leaving the door unlocked for Dinobot to exit whenever he chose. "Optimus to Tigatron; what's the situation?" he droned out, his mind still on other things. Tigatron's reply sounded rushed, an unusual tinge of impatience in the bots voice. "The Preds are on the move. They've mined out a _huge_ energon crystal and are rigging it for transport back to their base! Where _are_ you? We were supposed to rendezvous almost an _hour _ago!" The commander vented a sigh. In all the excitement he'd completely forgotten about the mission. "Right, we're on our way. You heard him; move out!"

"_Finally_. I was beginning to fear we'd _never_ get around to this." Optimus turned around just as Dinobot strode past him acting as if nothing had happened all day. When the hell did he slip out of the lab? Rhinox folded his arms across his chest plate, shaking his head. "And just _where_ do you think _you're_ going?" The question stopped the warrior dead in his tracks, a single brow plate raised as he turned to stare at the old science officer. "To _battle_." He reiterated, speaking as though it was the most obvious concept to grasp. "I don't think so!" Optimus scolded, earning a scoff from the raptor. "For what purpose would you have me remain here?" The question caused everyone to stop and stare at Dinobot as if he were mad. He couldn't have forgotten _already_! Optimus shook his head. "You _can't _be serious!"

"Hmph. _Entirely_ serious. Most of my systems have returned to working order. I am _fully_ capable normal combat operation. However, if I just so _happened_ to, say… _Accidentally_ take one of Scorponok's missiles to the midsection, well that would be quite _unfortunate_ indeed. _Oh_, but rest assured; I do _not_ intend to lose any sleep over such a loss, should it occur." The raptor explained all this as casually as one would comment on the weather. Optimus' hands were clenched into tight fists at his sides, his rising anger level apparent to everyone in the room. He couldn't decide which disgusted him more; That Dinobot cared so little for the infant spark he carried inside him, or that he actually planned on having it destroyed in battle. "That's _it_! I've had _enough_ of this! I'm _not_ letting you throw that protoform's life away just because you don't _want_ it! You're not the _only one_ that has a say in this! Or need I remind you who the _father _is?"

"Perhaps it is _you_ who needs reminding!" Optimus was slightly taken aback as Dinobot shouted back at him. Honestly, he was hoping that instigating an argument that was best kept private would discourage the warrior from continuing this nonsense. Apparently he'd underestimated his stubbornness. "As a soldier under your command I may be _obligated_ to follow your orders, _but_ as your _mate_ we stand on _equal_ ground! You'll do well to remember those are boundaries not to be _confused_!" At that the shouting subsided, the two obstinate Maximals glaring at each other. Cheetor stepped forward to attempt to break the two up, but was stopped when Rhinox threw his arm up in front of him, shaking his head.

Eventually it was Optimus who seemed to give in, venting a sigh. "You're right…" he admitted, earning a victorious growl from the raptor. Of course, he wasn't done just yet. "Then as your _commanding officer_ I'm ordering _you_, a soldier _unfit for duty_, to remain here at base!" he barked out firmly, folding arms over chest plate. Oh, the look on Dinobots face was absolutely priceless. It was like a combination of aghast horror mixed with murderous rage. Of course who could expect any different. 'Unfit for duty' was probably one of the worst insults one could say to a warrior as proud as Dinobot. Rattrap would have given _anything _to have a camera at that moment, but would settle for burning the image into his memory banks instead. Still, as amusing as he found it the rat valued his life higher, stepping behind Rhinox to shield himself from the explosion of fury sure to come. It never did.

"As you _command_…" Dinobot hissed out through clenched teeth, looking as though he'd just barely managed to hold himself back from mauling the commander. Optimus shook his head, motioning for the others to continue on to the Predacon mine as the raptor stormed off towards his quarters.

* * *

><p>The mission went well, all things considering. The four Maximals filed into base victoriously, none having to go to the CR chamber. Still, that wouldn't stop them from complaining. "Hey, way to go with those slagging demo charges, Rattrap! Could ya set the fuse a little <em>shorter<em> next time? I like my fur singed _evenly_ all over." Cheetor growled out, giving the shorter bot a swift punch in the arm. "Hey, whaddaya want from me? I had _Tarantulus_ on my tail! Maybe if _someone_ hadn't _knocked up_ our _muscle_ I'd have had enough cover fire ta be able ta set them longer!" The two bots froze immediately. Oops. Touchy subject. The two looked over to Optimus to see if they'd heard him. Of course he had. The commander vented out a sigh, shaking his head. "I'd better go talk to him…" Now that it was all said and done, Optimus felt terrible about how he spoke to Dinobot that morning. Still, a wave of dread overtook his processor for a moment, absolutely terrified at what he might find. As he started back towards the barracks Rattrap could be heard giving one more wise crack. "Lilies, right?"

Much to his surprise Optimus found Dinobot sitting at his desk in his room, seemingly looking over some old files on his external database. The raptor spoke as the ape entered, never turning to look at him. "It's still _there_, just so you know. I haven't done anything to it. Or do you need to check for yourself?" The commander let out a chuckle, shaking his head. "No, I trust you." He replied calmly. "Look, I just came to apologize for this morning. Some of the things I said were completely uncalled for." The warrior gave a low rumble of agreement as he turned in his chair to face Optimus. "You were… _emotionally compromised_. It is forgiven."

"I know you don't want to have to go through with this, but hear me out. I'll have Rhinox salvage the next intact stasis pod we find. Once the protoform can survive outside your body we'll keep it in stasis until we either find a way back to Cybertron or permanently deal with the Predacons. Until then, all I ask is that you try to keep it safe." Dinobot remained silent for a long moment, optics searching open space as he contemplated. Finally, he vented a heavy sigh. "I suppose I haven't a choice, do I?" Optimus smiled at that, leaning down and placing a soft kiss against the raptors lips. "Thank you."

With that Optimus turned to leave. Just as he passed through the doorway he glanced back at the warrior. "You know… I'm proud of you. I was sure you'd follow after us." Dinobot merely shook his head. "I was given an order by my _commanding officer_ and I intend to obey…" The ape let out a chuckle before starting his way down the hall. The raptor waited until the other bot was out of earshot to continue. "Oh, but _do_ be aware… A _good_ commander always takes care to detail ones _restrictions_ while confined to base." Suddenly there was the dull thud of an explosion coupled with the pained shout of the Maximal leader. Dinobot let out a satisfied chuckle as he returned to his work on the computer. "_Now_ it is forgiven…"

* * *

><p>Optimus was next seen marching out onto the bridge, fur charred to hell and several small holes in his hull visible. Rattrap heard their fearless leader grumbling something about a vindictive son of a bitch as he opened the CR chamber. This was about when Tigatron and Airazor returned to base from their patrol. "What happened to you? I thought no one took damage during the mission!" Airazor questioned in her usual soft tone. Optimus glared with narrowed optics at the two as he gave his answer. "<em>Incendiary mine<em> under my _desk_." He grumbled out through gritted teeth before climbing into the chamber. Airazor and Tigatron stared with wide optics as the chamber door closed. "What in the _pit_ is going on?" Tigatron growled out. Rhinox leaned back in his chair shaking his head as he stared up at the ceiling. "I swear to Primus, if I survive the next two months… I'll _kiss_ Megatron!" Unfortunately, the rhino forgot about his surroundings as he said that, a certain rat letting out a chuckle. "Just as long as ya don't _interface_ with 'im!" At that the hawk and tiger both let out an appalled gasp at the obscene joke that had seemingly come out of nowhere. The science officer merely let out a groan, running hands down his tired face. "Walked right into _that_ one…"

"Hey, uhh… Am I missing something?" Cheetor asked, being the only one in the room who didn't get the joke. Rattrap walked over to the young feline, wrapping an arm around his shoulders. "Look, kid… I think it's about time we had a li'l _chat_, bot to bot… No one ever gave you the 'Nuts and the Bolts' talk, did they?" At that Cheetor furrowed his brow plates before saying exactly what Rattrap hoped he wouldn't say. "What do nuts and bolts have to do with anything?" The shorter bot shook his head, covering his optics with his hand. "Oh boy…"


	5. Hunting Party

Primal Hunter  
>by: Takashidaimao<br>Chapter 5: Hunting Party

* * *

><p>Things seemed to calm down considerably over the next few weeks as everyone got used to the idea of Dinobot having the little scrapling. Tigatron and Airazor were eventually told, at which point Tigatron immediately bolted for a patrol duty he'd just come off of. Airazor on the other hand found it absolutely adorable. She'd been doting over the raptor like a mother hen in anticipation of the little one, much to his vexation. In fact the day was not complete until the phrase 'Stop pestering me, woman!' was heard echoing through the halls. Today he had managed to escape without too much of the hawks 'cute' talk. It seemed Optimus had finally stepped in and asked her to lay off a little. Of course he'd have only done it because of how much it was pissing the warrior off, as he himself found it just as amusing as everyone else did.<p>

Dinobot was currently standing at the circular table on the bridge, tail flicking back and forth as he glared at the holographic projections in front of him. Since he'd been barred from combat and patrol duties he'd been given the task of updating the ships records to keep him occupied. It was a boring and monotonous job, one the raptor had quickly come to loathe. Still it was something to do, and better than sitting around doing nothing. Even so, there would always come the point where he just couldn't take it anymore. He was about at that point now. The telltale clicking of a large talon tapping against the steel of the floor served as a warning to all present that it was probably best to keep ones distance. It was only moments later that the large lizard finally became fed up with his task, slamming a hand down to shut off the projections. Tail still whipping back and forth behind him the raptor left the bridge, likely to look for their commander to provide an alternate source of entertainment.

"I think Dinobot's been in beast mode too long. He's getting antsy again." Cheetor commented once he was sure the raptor was out of audio range. Surprisingly it was Rattrap who offered an explanation for the behavior. "Ah, leave 'im be. He's only stayin' in beast mode 'cause it's easier ta hide his growin' gut that way. It's been what? Three weeks? Trust me, we see what he looks like right now an' he'll prolly maul us outta _embarrassment_." The rat spoke casually, his optics never leaving the game of poker he was playing with the computer. The other two stopped what they were doing to stare at him. Well, he was rather _informed_, now wasn't he? Rattrap only looked up when he felt the stares from either side of him. "What? Hey, don't give me those looks! I ain't got no brats!" he added, holding his hands up defensively. He didn't think it was that hard to guess. It was about the same time that Optimus had walked out to the bridge one morning looking like he'd just lost a fight with a wheat thresher that Dinobot started refusing to be seen in his robot form. Still, it seemed a proper explanation was needed to get those two off his back.

"Alright! _Alright_! Thing is… Well, my sisters never _did_ know how to keep their chassis' closed." Rattrap admitted with a weak laugh, shrugging his shoulders. "You never told me you were an uncle." Rhinox replied with a sly grin, at which point Cheetor finally got what the rat meant. "Yeah, well… I didn't tell _Optimus_ either. And if ya don't mind I'd like ta _keep_ it that way. I'll be _damned_ if I get stuck with babysittin' duty _again_ after all these years!" To Rattraps horror, he then felt a heavy hand slap down on his shoulder. He looked up, catching optics with their fearless leader.

"Well, it's good to know someone here has experience." Optimus teased with a slight smirk. "_Noooo!_ Oh _Primus_, please no! Don't make me do it!" The commander couldn't help but laugh at the rats seemingly exaggerated reaction, shaking his head as he turned towards the back of the ship. It seemed he was only passing through to check on everyone's status. Cheetor stared for a while as Rattrap leaned back in his chair with his hands over his face, chanting the word 'no' over and over as if it were supposed to make the idea disappear from Optimus' mind. The young feline let out an amused chuckle. "Oh c'mon! Babysitting isn't _that _bad, is it?" That simple question caused the rat to sit bolt upright in his chair before being sent into a tangent.

"Kid, most old geezers get _war_ flashbacks. Me? I'm gonna get _babysittin'_ flashbacks! _Oh_, Pops thought it was _great_! Used ta use it as a _punishment_! 'Oh, ya wanna go screwin' around with _girls!_' he says, 'Just go watch yer _niece_ for a few hours an' we'll see how much ya wanna screw around _then_!'" Rattrap paused his ranting only to give a shudder of reminiscent horror. "I tell ya, those kids'll scare ya _gay_! In fact, I _think_ that's what happened ta my older brother. I know they damn near scared _me_ inta wantin' ta get _fixed_! And mark my words, if my li'l nieces an' nephews were _holy terrors_, then tha _thing_ that's gonna be crawlin' outta _Choppaface_ in six weeks has gotta be tha slaggin' _Anti-Primus!"_ The other two bots were already dying laughing by the time Rattrap finished. "Oh, you two think I'm _jokin'!_Just you wait! You'll see! An' don't ya dare say I didn't try ta warn ya!"

* * *

><p>Optimus could hear the roar of laughter from the bridge even as he proceeded down the halls. Well, this was a pleasant change for once. Everyone seemed to be in a good mood for the first time in what seemed like ages. He couldn't help but smile to himself. And here he was worried everything would be awkward after he told them about his relationship with Dinobot.<p>

Of course, speak of the Devil and he shall appear… As Optimus rounded the next corner the sound of impatient talons against steel echoed past him. He let out a reluctant groan, hanging his head slightly. It just couldn't last, could it? He turned to face the raptor, doing his best to hide his hesitation to do so. "Yes? I take it you'd like to speak with me?" A growl preceded the large lizards reply showing how irritable he'd become. "I cannot stand it any longer! If I don't get off this ship soon, I'll go positively insane!" The commander shook his head at that, rolling his optics slightly. "You _know_ you can go outside whenever you want."

"Perhaps, but only so long as I remain in _this_ sector! When was the last time _you've_ seen any prey larger than a _gopher_ around here?" Ah, so _that_ was it. He was pining for a hunt. Wasn't that what started all this in the first place? Optimus never _did_ understand the carnivore's fixation with chasing down and killing his food. Of course the mental image of a fully grown velociraptor scratching around in the dirt after gophers like a chicken after worms was sure to keep him amused for days.

"_Oh_, so you want something more _challenging_? Like a _lion_ or a _crocodile_? Oh, wait… How about a _bear_? That way we can ensure that you're _completely_ torn to shreds." The raptor lowered his head at the mocking sarcasm, baring his fangs menacingly. "Sorry, _sorry_! Couldn't resist! My point is… I _know_ you're bored, but that's no excuse to go around being reckless, _especially_ while you're-""The _next_ person to remind me of how _gravid_ I am will have their _vocal unit_ removed through their _exhaust port!"_ Dinobot practically screamed, which threw Optimus off quite a bit. Okay, maybe he _was_ going a little stir-crazy from being inside too long. The raptor seemed to calm down just as quickly as he'd snapped, however. "That is… I have no intention of going after _dangerous_ prey this time. I'll stick to deer. I'll even avoid the _bucks_ if I must." the dinosaur offered somewhat sheepishly, a complete flip of his mood just a few seconds ago. As relieved as he was to see a non-volatile disposition in Dinobot for once, Optimus still shook his head firmly.

"Your prey is only _half_ of my problem. What if the _Predacons_ found you out where we couldn't help in time? You of _all people_ should know what they'd do to both you _and_ the protoform!" the commander scolded, folding arms over chest plate. The raptor could be seen rolling his eyes at the warning. "Would that be _before_ or _after_ Megatron _suffocates_ himself laughing?" "Dinobot, I'm trying to be _serious_ here…" "You think I _wasn't_?" At that Optimus shook his head again, venting a sigh. This was getting him nowhere fast. Finally, he threw his hands up in surrender. "Alright, _alright!_ I'll let you go…" Dinobot let out a reptilian purr, tail flicking behind him in delight. The ape found the behavior so unusually adorable that he almost didn't have the heart to continue what he was saying. _Almost_. "On one condition…"

* * *

><p>"<em>One<em> afternoon of _privacy_… That's _all_ I wanted. _Surely_ that wasn't too much to ask?" Dinobot grumbled to himself as he glared at the yellow and black spotted tail that swayed to and fro in front of him. Yes, it was the young cheetah of all bots that Optimus saw fit to look after his expectant mate, much to the raptor's dismay. Of course he was the only choice left after Tigatron and Airazor, the former not wanting to have anything to do with the raptor in his current state, and the latter far too likely to annoy him so severely he'd come back in a worse mood than before. Still, despite the boy being the lesser of evils, the dinosaur wouldn't let that keep him from complaining about it the second he got back to base. At the moment Dinobot was just hoping he would spontaneously gain the power to deactivate another bots' vocal processors at will, as the feline hadn't shut his mouth since they left the Axalon.

"Gosh, I can't tell ya how great this is! I haven't been on a hunt with someone since Tigatron took me up north. He caught this _huge_ caribou! I only got a snow hare, and even _that_ was hard in all that _snow_!" Cheetor only paused his jabbering to glance behind him to make sure his fellow Maximal was still following. The raptor had slowed his pace, his head lowered as too better peer through the underbrush as he sniffed around. The feline stopped, tilting his head to one side. "Hey, whatcha doing?" The large lizard never looked up from his task as he casually spoke the answer. "Locating a suitable ditch into which I might toss the _body_ once I've _eviscerated_ it." Cheetor let out a nervous laugh at that. "You're talking about the deer, right? _R-right_?" The reply was a steely gaze in the cat's direction. The young scout's ears pinned back against his head, eyes wide. "I'm just gonna shut up now…" "Wiser words were never spoken."

After that, the cheetah had trotted off with his tail between his legs, no longer feeling safe around the raptor. Besides, he didn't see the harm in letting Dinobot roam around alone for a while so long as they remained in the same area. Soon enough the incident was forgotten as Cheetor caught the scent of a nearby doe on the air. He immediately crouched down low, weaving through trees and bushed on silent paw pads. Soon, his target came into view. The whitetail deer stood out in the middle of a large clearing, her head to the ground as she picked through the grass. The cheetah remained veiled behind the tall grass, his eyes fixed wide on his prey. Just as he prepared to pounce her head shot up, causing the cat to freeze. Suddenly, she bolted. Cheetor gasped, scrambling to get out of the way as the doe charged right at him. The feline could only stare as she leapt clean over the spot where he'd been perched before dashing off into the woods. That was weird… If it was him that had spooked her she'd have run in the opposite direction. So if not him, what did? The young scout trotted out into the clearing, sniffing around curiously. Unfortunately, the culprit was heard before he was seen.

"_For the glory of the Royalty!"_

"Oh no…" Cheetor squeaked out, pinning his ears back again. Just then, Dinobot came sprinting through the brush. "Fall back, you witless dolt!" the raptor snarled as Inferno emerged over the tree line laughing like a madman as was his custom. The Cheetor took just a second too long to move for the raptor's liking. As the dinosaur sprinted past he snatched the young cat up by the scruff with his jaws, earning a pained yowl from the boy. He was then tossed over a large fallen log, Dinobot vaulting over just as a roaring blaze cascaded overhead.

"Aw, _slag!_ What're the _Preds_ doing out here?" Cheetor whined as he shifted into robot mode, readying his weapon at his side. "Likely the same as us; _hunting_. Though I highly doubt they're after _organic_ prey if they're out _here_." The scout looked over to see Dinobot already in robot mode retrieving a generic pistol from the holster against his lower back. His optics lingered on the warrior's midsection for a moment. Wow, Rattrap was right after all. He averted his optics to ensure he wasn't caught staring. "You just stay here. I'll take care of the flying freak!" Cheetor announced, puffing up his chest with misguided confidence. "No, you imbecile!" the raptor hissed just as the boy leapt from their cover. He let out a growl, slamming a fist against the log he still crouched behind. The fool didn't stand a chance against Inferno! He was outclassed in nearly every area! Dinobot knew he couldn't do much to help, not while he carried the unborn protoform at the very least. He was a master at _hand-to-hand _combat. He was used to fighting in close quarters while this particular situation called for attacking at a distance, something he wasn't ideally equipped for. The tactical disadvantage was such that the raptor felt he had no choice but to call for backup. However, he refused to give Optimus the chance to say 'I told you so'! It would damage his pride too severely! Still, what good was ones pride when they're dead? Reluctantly, the warrior activated his communicator…

"Burn, feline! _Buuuurn!"_the crazed ant cackled as he chased down the young scout, spraying the trees below with searing flames. Cheetor was just thankful it had been raining a lot recently, the brush still too waterlogged to catch fire easily. The Maximal dodged from tree to tree, firing a few shots whenever there was an opening. He knew he didn't stand a chance, but taking Inferno down wasn't his priority. He just wanted to lead the Predacon away from Dinobot.

By the time the raptor emerged from his shelter to provide Cheetor with cover fire the cat had already led the maniac away. He let out another aggravated snarl, vaulting himself over the log towards the clearing. He kept close to the cover of the trees with his pistol at the ready, knowing better than to venture out into the open while the enemy was around. His caution was justified as he felt a gunshot burn into the back of his shoulder. He let out a furious roar as he turned to face his attacker, aiming his sidearm just in time to be tacked to the ground further out in the clearing. Dinobot immediately moved to stand when another bot's foot was slammed into his chest plate, pinning him to the ground. A loud screech of victory echoed through the forest as Terrorsaur aimed his gun at the warrior's face.

"Haven't seen _you_ around in a while, _traitor!_ I was beginning to think-" the Predacon taunting was suddenly cut short, as his focus had drifted downward. Dinobot let out a low defeated growl as the pterosaur's optics widened. Then came the laughter. "Ahahahahaha! No _slaggin'_ way! Hahah! I always thought ya were ornerier than a _bitch_ in heat! Guess I must be _psychic_ or somethin'!" At that the raptor snarled viciously, baring his fangs. Another gunshot was the response, leaving a smoldering hole in the ground just inches from the warrior's abdomen. "Ah, _stuff_ it! Wouldn't want anything _bad_ to happen to yer little _brat_, would ya?" Terrorsaur threatened coarsely. Dinobot glared at his former teammate, but could do little else. Any attempt at an attack would only endanger him further unless he could disable the Predacon with a single blow. Powerful though he was he knew such a thing was beyond his capabilities, especially under the current circumstances.

"Now you just _gotta_ tell me… _Whose_ is it? The _rhino?_ Oh, wait… The _rat_, right? Hahaha! No, no, I bet ya don't even _know!_ _That's_ it! I bet ya went around _linking_ with every last-" Terrorsaur's words were cut short once more, but this time by a gunshot to the back. The Predacon immediately redirected his aim towards the tree line, though he couldn't see whoever had fired the shot. "Alright, who has the _bearings_ to-" For the third time the pterosaur was interrupted, though his attacker had ensured it would be the last. Terrorsaur let out a wheezing screech, dropping his gun to clamp his hands over the area between his legs. An area he'd left so _irresistibly _wide open when he let his attention drift from the pinned Dinobot. One more shot to the jaw was all it took to fell the stunned bot.

"Not _you_, apparently." The warrior rumbled out as the Predacon fell to the ground next to him. He shoved the unconscious bot to the side just as Rattrap emerged from behind the trees, returning his pistol to its holster as he approached. "Ya just can't go a day without causin' all _kinds_ of trouble, can ya Choppaface?" he teased lightly, offering a hand to help his fellow Maximal up. Normally Dinobot would have refused his help, but accepted as to not suffer the embarrassment of being seen trying to get up by himself, his current state having made him quite unbalanced. Needless to say he returned to his beast mode the instant he was on his feet. "And what of the boy?" he asked, referring to Cheetor. Rattrap dismissed the question with a wave of his hand. "Already taken care of. Ran into tha kid on my way ta you. I set a couple charges a few yards out an' told him were ta lead tha ol' Firefly. Should be getting' there any-"

Rattrap's explanation ceased just as a resounding boom blared over the forest, the crest of smoke and fire visible over the trees several yards away. Dinobot couldn't help but give a nod of approval at how the rodent handled the situation. The rat could be heard venting a sigh. "Now that that's over… You owe me _big time_ fer this one, Dino-breath! Do you have _any_ idea how hard it was ta give Big Green an' tha Boss Monkey tha slip?" Rattrap scolded, folding his arms over his chest plates. Honestly the raptor was surprised he bothered to maintain secrecy at all. Calling the rodent was a desperate measure, but it was the only chance he had of keeping all this beyond Optimus' notice. "You… Have my _thanks_…" Dinobot offered reluctantly, turning his eyes away as he did.

"Hey, it ain't like I'm doin' this 'cause I _like_ ya or nothin'. If Optimus finds out about this, he's not gonna let you outside Sentinel's shield range 'til that kid of yers is old enough ta buy _high grade!_ An' if you get cabin fever from just a couple of _days_ stuck inside, I don't wanna be around ya when ya don't see daylight fer a _month!_" Rattrap replied defensively, earning a small chuckle from the raptor. "I suppose now you have _proper_ evidence with which to blackmail me." It was true; this was a far worse thing to be revealed than what the rat tried to get him with before. At least for the moment. Surprisingly, Rattrap shook his head.

"Nah. I think I'll give ya a freebie just this _once._ I told tha kid ta keep _his_ mouth shut, too. Just do me a favor an' try ta keep that li'l scrapling safe from now on, alright Big Momma Rex?" he teased, tapping the back of his hand lightly against the dinosaur's abdomen and earning a particularly nasty growl. A growl to both remind the vermin of his aversion to touching, as well as warn him to never, _ever_ call him that again.

It took the two an hour to make it back to base. Dinobot was confident he could hide his damaged shoulder until he could find a way to covertly repair it without his mate noticing. Unfortunately, all hopes of hiding the day's events were immediately dashed once they emerged from the entrance lift, a furious Optimus already standing there waiting. He had his arms folded across his chest plate, fingers tapping impatiently against his forearms, narrowed optics demanding an explanation they were sure he already knew. The raptor immediately glared at the young cheetah sitting behind the commander, his head dipped low and his ears pinned back apologetically. "He _cornered _me…"

* * *

><p>Terrorsaur was already dying of laughter by the time the lift raised him out of the repair tank. The image of the Predacon traitor actually carrying a child was just too hilarious for him to care that he got his tail handed to him. Blackarachnia let out a groan of disgust, shaking her head at the sight. Honestly, these bozos were getting stupider the longer she knew them. "And just <em>what<em> is so funny?" It took the pterosaur a moment for his laughter to subside long enough to reply. "Just the single most _hilarious_ joke in the galaxy!" he explained before bursting into hysterics once again. The black widow curled her lip, giving the male a glare of annoyed loathing. "Oh, _okay._ Well, _here's_ one for you, _Chuckles._ Now stop me if you've heard this one before; _Megatron_ wants to see you… In his _quarters!_" Terrorsaur nearly choked at that. Aw crap…

The pterosaur had to ball his fists at his sides to keep them from visibly shaking as he entered the commander's quarters. The Darksyde's dim lighting cast an ominous shadow over the hulking Predacon leader, his bright red optics burning through the darkness. Inferno was standing off to the side, a pleased grin plastered across his face. The tyrannosaurus dismissed the soldier ant with a wave of his hand. "You may _leave_ now, Inferno." The ant immediately stood at attention and saluted. "As you wish, my _Queen!_" he replied before marching out, leaving his 'royal highness' to shake his head at the way the psychopath insisted on addressing him. Once they were alone, Megatron was free to turn his full attention on Terrorsaur. "So, I hear you've learned a most _interesting_ secret about our _lovable_ little turn-coat. _Yes…_"


	6. Sabotage

Primal Hunter  
>by: Takashidaimao<br>Chapter 6: Sabotage

This two-month-long posting delay has been brought to you in part by Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim.

Elder Scrolls: Providing Bethesda with the ensnared souls of gamers since 1994.

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><p>The next few weeks were unusually quiet, all things considered. Optimus had given Dinobot what had to have been a three hour long speech that had the basic plot outline of 'I told you so.' Much to his surprise the raptor listened patiently, giving only the minimal response when prompted. While that seemed all well and good, there was a downside; he'd said little more to anyone since. At first Optimus was determined not to let the silent treatment get under his skin. The attempt barely lasted half a day before he began to feel like a complete ass. It took nearly a week for the commander to get his mate to talk to him, let alone sleep in the same room again. Still, Dinobot didn't seem angry at all. More distracted than anything else, especially in the past few days. It was beginning to worry him to the point where he couldn't effectively hide it from his crew anymore.<p>

"Rhinox, what's the ETA on that stasis pod landing? Any change?" The commander asked, pacing slightly behind the science officer's station. "Same as it's been. Estimate's still at one week. Y'know, it won't change no matter how hard you stare at it, old friend." Rhinox replied, offering a small joke in an attempt to calm Optimus' nerves. The ape vented out a sigh, smiling slightly at the attempt. "Sorry..." The apology from the leader caused Rattrap to look over, a smirk already fixed across his face. "Gettin' a li'l _nervous_ there, Boss Monkey?" the rat teased with a slight chuckle. Optimus let out a scoff, shaking his head at the question. "And you're _not_? Dinobot's only got ten more days at _best_. I want to make sure we're in the best position we can be to recover this pod with its life support systems intact. We can't afford to have to wait for another one."

"Hey, wait a minute, Big Bot!" Cheetor interjected, turning in his chair. "You sound like all you care about is that pod! What about the Maximal inside? Don't they matter to you at all?" the young scout demanded, folding his arms across his chest plate. Rhinox couldn't help but let out a small chuckle. "Don't get your tail in a knot, Cheetor. Optimus wouldn't be so focused on the pod if there were anyone inside. The one we're tracking is empty. It was one of the pods set aside for the bridge crew in case of an emergency." The feline's optics blinked at the explanation as he tilted his head to one side. "So, that pod belongs to... one of _us_?"

"That's why this one is the ideal target. Once the Predacons realize there's no protoform inside to manipulate, they should abandon their pursuit. Theoretically, at least." Optimus explained. Of course, that explanation didn't seem to bolster the confidence of their friendly neighborhood pessimist. "'Theoretically' is tha way it's gonna stay, Scrape Ape. Or did ya already forget what happened with Inferno? Tarantulus was more interested in his pod than he was with reprogramming tha bot inside. Even if tha Preds back off- and I ain't sayin' they _will_- we're still gonna hafta fight tha _Spiders_ for it." The commander vented a sigh at Rattrap's interjection. He was right of course. The Spiders had taken an interest in Maximal stasis technology as of late and it was anyone's guess as to why. Still, battling two Predacons was a far more favorable scenario than having to take on all seven, especially since they were still one man shy of being at full strength. "I just hope Dinobot lasts long enough for us to at least _try _to get our hands on the slagging thing..."

"Hey, speaking of Dinobot... Where is he? I haven't seen him all morning." Cheetor asked curiously, earning yet another uneasy sigh from their leader. As if he wasn't worried enough as it is. "I'm not sure. He was still asleep the last time I checked on him." Optimus replied, his brow plates furrowing slightly. Rattrap could be heard giving a scoff at that. "Jeez, ya think Choppaface is gettin' enough beauty rest?" the rat joked lightly, though Optimus could have sworn he detected a hint of concern in the small bots voice. Apparently Rhinox picked up on it as well. "You're all worrying too much. The protoform's stasis chamber will drain a lot of energy from his power reserves, but not enough to do any damage to his systems. He'll be fine. He's just tired is all."

"'Ey, I ain't _worried_ 'bout ol' Lizard Lips. Tha Big Ape does enough worrin' fer tha bunch of us in _that_ particular department. I'm just sayin'... If Big Momma Rex is so 'fine' then why can't he come out here an' sit on monitor duty like tha rest of us for once?" Rattrap retorted, raising his hands defensively at the accusation that he was just as nervous as the rest of them. In fact, though he'd never admit it, he was probably the most anxious one there save for the expectant parents themselves. "I can ask him to relieve you for a little while if you'd like, but only if he feels up to it. I don't want to put any more strain on him than necessary right now." Optimus offered as he turned to proceed towards the back of the ship. He'd take any excuse he could to go check on his mate. Maybe he _was _worrying too much...

* * *

><p>Optimus first checked his own quarters, as that's where Dinobot had been sleeping (finally) for the past month. Much to his surprise he found his bed vacant. The commander grumbled a bit to himself. Well, so much for 'Good morning, Dear.' He had no idea why he expected such a thing. The raptor seemed almost incapable of showing affection in any verbal form, even after all this time. He'd always been the more physical type, and since the two of them couldn't exactly get very physical at the moment, well... Needless to say there was a bit of a strain developing in their relationship. He'd have to work on getting the warrior to open up a little more.<p>

Since the raptor wasn't where he'd left him, Optimus opted for the next most likely location. Luckily, Dinobot was indeed in his quarters. Hearing the door slide open behind him, the Saurian instinctively jumped up to his feet, having been sitting at his desk. The commander raised a brow as his mate looked back at him from over his shoulder-plate, obviously trying to hide whatever he was working on. Unfortunately, since he was so close to having the little bot, hiding something behind his body wasn't exactly a hard task to accomplish. "Yes? Do you need me for something?" he questioned in a somewhat impatient tone. Optimus shook his head. So now he couldn't even speak to his mate without wanting something? "No. I just wanted to check up on you." Dinobot averted his gaze, letting out a low growl. "I see... Well? You've checked on me. You can _leave _now."

Even though that was probably the most the raptor had said to him all week, Optimus was surprised at how quickly he was dismissed. "That's it? You just want me to go? Dinobot, if something's wrong, you know you can tell me. I've been worried sick about you these past few days." Another growl preceded Dinobot's answer. "And therein lies the problem..."he hissed, never turning to face his commander. The ape furrowed his brow plates in confusion. "I'm worried... And that's a _problem?_" "Yes!" the raptor retorted immediately, finally turning to face the other bot. His little mystery project remained hidden from view behind his back. "The fact that you are so concerned for my well-being is _precisely_ what's bothering me! I'm a _warrior_, Optimus! I shouldn't have to be treated as though I'm as brittle as glass! I'm not just talking about you either! It's _everyone!_" he rumbled out, averting optics once again. Optimus vented a sigh. So _that _was the problem. The ape stepped in close to the warrior, placing a hand gently against his side. Once his mate looked down at him, he gave a soft smile.

"It was never our intention to upset you at all, but you know we wouldn't be so protective of you if we didn't think there was just cause to do so." the commander offered in a calm tone. Dinobot merely sighed in response, placing a hand over that of his mate's. "And I would not be so upset if I _myself_ did not see just cause for your concern..." Well, Optimus certainly wasn't expecting that one. It also didn't do much to affirm Rhinox's 'he'll be fine' conclusion in his mind. "What? Are you okay? Did something happen?" he questioned somewhat frantically. Dinobot rolled his optics, shaking his head slightly. He should have expected such an overreaction. "No, nothing's happened. Not recently, in any case... I just can't seem to get what happened out there with Terrorsaur out of my head. I should have been able to dispatch that fool in an instant, yet he had me pinned there like a helpless little lamb. I could do nothing until the _rodent_ showed up to help..." That, in Dinobot's opinion, was the salt in the wound; having been saved by _Rattrap _of all bots. "Have I become so weak that I can't even fight a single foe on my own?"

"You're not weak." Optimus assured firmly. "You just aren't used to fighting defensively. I know you, Dinobot. You always rush in with no concern for yourself, defeating your enemy being your only priority. I must admit, you've been an unstoppable force that has crushed more than your fair share of immovable objects... But now even _you_ realize that you can't do that anymore, if not for yourself then for your _child_. If you ask me, that just makes you _stronger._" Dinobot stared down at the commander for a long moment, searching the bots determined optics. He let out a small chuckle, shaking his head before leaning down and placing a soft kiss on his mate's lips. "How is it you always know _exactly _what to say?" Optimus couldn't help but flash a cocky grin. "It's in my job description."

After another kiss Dinobot straightened up again. "In any case... I suppose it was fortunate you came to check on me. I've a small matter that needs attending to and I... I cannot do it on my own..." he admitted reluctantly, glancing away. Optimus gave a small smile. "If you ever need help with anything all you have to do is ask." The raptor nodded before stepping aside, no longer feeling the need to hide what he'd been working on. "Then I'd like to ask that you accompany me on one last hunting trip."

* * *

><p>Cheetor looked back in time to see Optimus returning to the bridge with the large brown lizard in tow. The young scout had to look away quickly as to not get caught chuckling to himself. Even in Beast Mode it had become impossible for Dinobot to hide how much the stasis chamber in his abdomen had grown. As humorous as the feline found it, he wouldn't be caught dead laughing about it, especially with how edgy Optimus was and how self-conscious Dinobot felt about it. "We're stepping out for a few cycles. Rattrap, I want you to follow our signals and alert me immediately if you see a Predacon energy signature within a mile of our location." The commander's announcement was followed by an annoyed snarl. "Oh for the love of... Is that <em>really<em> necessary?" the raptor rumbled out as his mate reverted to his gorilla form. "Considering what happened last time? Yes, I find it _entirely _necessary." Dinobot could be heard grumbling something about the commander being a 'typical overprotective primate' but didn't argue beyond that point. However, just as the dinosaur turned towards the ships exit port Rattrap decided to add in his two cents. "Hey, what gives? I thought ya said ya were gonna get Choppaface ta cover fer me fer a few cycles!" Dinobot cocked a leathery brow at that, eyes instantly drifting towards the Maximal leader. The ape gave a half-apologetic shrug of his shoulders. The raptor heaved a sigh of defeat, shaking his head. "Oh, alright... I'll relieve you after we return." he gave in quickly before proceeding out the exit with Optimus following closely behind. Once the two were out of sight Rattrap scratched at his chin thoughtfully. So all he had to do was say 'Optimus said so' and Choppaface would do it? Good to know...

Once outside Dinobot was free to reveal the small DNA scanner he'd kept concealed at his side. He wouldn't openly announce what he was doing out there to the rest of the crew, though he was certain they were likely to come to the correct conclusion on their own. Rhinox knew for sure, as he was the one who cobbled the contraption together for the raptor in the first place. Still, he refused to allow the rumor to spread that he might actually _care _for his as of yet unborn infant. Of course, there was always that certain someone he could never fool.

"You know... I'm proud of you. I was certain you still wanted to get rid of the sparkling. It's nice to see you actively trying to protect it." Optimus praised with a wide smile as the two made their way out into the wilds. The raptor let out a loud scoff, turning his snout up at the comment. "Hmph! Do not confuse the issue. I did not waste the last two months carrying this child only to have it die of something as preventable as energon exposure. And since you've yet to recover a functioning stasis pod, a beast form is required. _Nothing more._" Dinobot hissed, trying his best to avoid the gorilla's gaze. Optimus' smile shifted somewhat into a smirk. "Is this what you were trying to do when I sent you out with Cheetor that time?" Dinobot lowered his head, glaring up at the ape with one slitted white eye. "Perhaps I _was_... Perhaps I was _interrupted_ by that blasted Inferno before I could get a proper scan of my chosen specimen. I _certainly_ didn't feel _guilty_ afterward for not asking _your_ opinion on the matter..." The last part was muttered, the large lizard looking away once again. Optimus let out a chuckle, shaking his head. "I'm flattered you thought about me." he replied in a mild teasing tone. He was of course met with a low growl. "At least _pretend _I'm not doing a horrid job of camouflaging such nauseating sentiment..."

After the two left on their little expedition Rattrap could be seen leaning casually back in his chair. Cheetor raised a brow plate. "Hey, didn't Optimus _just _tell you to monitor their position?" the scout questioned accusingly, to which the spy merely propped his feet up against the control panel. "Hey, I don't gotta be sittin' at attention ta stare at a computer screen, now do I?" he retorted without missing a beat. "Besides, they just left. Ain't like tha Preds are gonna come swarming tha instant-" Rattraps words were cut off as the computer chimed to life. "Alert; Predacon energy signature detected within designated scanning range of units Optimus Primal and Dinobot." The rat immediately sat upright, grumbling about how the slagging computer always had to prove him wrong. "Fer bootin' up cold… I swear that li'l brat ain't even born yet an' it's already a Pred magnet!" he complained before activating the com link. "Rattrap to Optimus! You got incomin' from tha south! It's movin' in fast! Gotta be a flier!" he announced hurriedly. He got nothing but static in reply. "Hey! Fearless Leader! Ya copy, big guy?" Again, nothing but static. Now he knew how their commander felt back when Dinobot ran off that first time. "Slag! Signals being jammed!" Rhinox roared, jumping up to his feet and moving for the exit. The other two followed suit without question.

Cheetor was the first to arrive, as his beast form was the fastest. The young scout dropped down from a sprint to a trot as he neared the area where Dinobot and Optimus were last seen. He sniffed the air frantically, trying desperately to locate their missing teammates. After a moment he picked up on their leaders scent. Unfortunately, that's all he picked up on. Dinobot's trail had already gone cold. "Hey, guys! Over here! I think I found Optimus!" Cheetor shouted before rushing through the brush. Sure enough, not far away, an ape was found pinned under a net of cyber webbing, the type normally used by Tarantulus or Blackarachnia to trap and paralyze their prey. The charge on the webs wasn't enough to subdue a Cybertronian for very long, only a few minutes at best unless connected to a constant power source, but that seemed to be all that was needed. By the time the other two arrived, Optimus was already trying to get up on his own. Dinobot was still nowhere to be found.

"What happened?" Rhinox asked after transforming into robot mode. Optimus maximized as well, slicing through the nearly dead webs with his machete. "Spiders must've set these traps for us. We stumbled into them right after I got your garbled transmission. I didn't get a chance to reply before Inferno…" he trailed off there, optics drifting towards a patch of disturbed soil next to where he was pinned. He cursed under his breath. "Slag! I'm such a fool!" he growled through gritted teeth as he slammed the back of his fist into the trunk of a tree. They'd set up unmanned traps, sensor arrays, a jamming perimeter… Megatron must have anticipated that he'd take precautions to protect Dinobot. He made sure to capture them in a way that wouldn't show up on their scans. Not until after it was too late.

"We've got to go after them before they do anything to him!" Optimus announced, not that it came as much of a surprise to the others. Still, Cheetor had to ask. "A-are you sure you're up to that? I mean… Did you take any damage when the Preds sprung their trap on you guys?" He of course got an answer equally as obvious as the question. "That's not important right now! We've got to get after the Predacons before it's too late!" the commander barked out before activating his Prime Jets. Without another word he took off into the sky, making a beeline for the Predacon base. Cheetor reverted to beast mode and sprinted after the leader. Rattrap vented out a heavy sigh as Rhinox transformed to beast mode as well. "If I've said it once, I've said it a million times… We're all gonna die." He grumbled out before climbing onto the rhino's back, his pistol at the ready.

* * *

><p>His processor was foggy at best, optics just now blinking online. Everything was a black haze, dark and blurry. The first thing that truly registered was the horrid stench of sulfur on the air. Once his vision cleared, he could see the dim red glow that was cast on the dark metal walls around him, originating from below. He could feel the uncomfortable heat penetrating through his thick leathery scales, especially where it came into contact with the steel slab that served as the floor of his prison. An organic being would have roasted alive by now. "Ah, it seems our guest has finally awoken." Instinctively Dinobot went to jump up to his feet at the sound of the Predacon leader's voice. His legs didn't seem to want to listen to him, lagging so badly he only made it up with his forelimbs supporting his weight from the front. Cybervenom… Inferno hit him with a strong dose after he was ensnared in the Spiders' trap, his energy reserves sapped almost completely dry. It was anyone's guess how long he was out… or what had been done while he was.<p>

Dinobot let out a vicious snarl, bearing his fangs at his former commander. "Release me at once or I'll slaughter you where you stand!" he roared out, earning a laugh from Megatron. The large bot steered his floating platform closer to the caged lizard's prison bars, his red eyes cutting through the shadows of the Darksyde. "And how _exactly_ do you presume to do such a thing? You're unarmed, drained of power, and most importantly…_ Hardly_ in any shape to put up a fight." He explained matter-of-factly, easily seeing through the raptor's empty threat. Dinobot let out a growl, but didn't argue any further. Though it pained him to admit even internally, Megatron was right. There was nothing he could do in his current condition, at least not without shorting himself out in the process. While he would normally insist upon freeing himself or dying in the attempt, he just couldn't bring himself to do it. Not now, at least… Great… So now he had to admit _Optimus _was right on top of everything else? He let out a low rumble of defeat, hanging his head low.

"_What_, pray tell, do you plan on doing with me _now_? If you wanted me dead, you'd have finished me by now… Or did you want the satisfaction of watching me suffer as I die?" he questioned, trying to sound as though he still had a hand to play. Megatron merely chuckled. "Oh, my dear Dinobot… You always _did_ lack the vision to see beyond the _obvious_ ploys… I've no intention of harming you in the slightest. Why would I so thoughtlessly throw away the life of a most valuable ally?" Dinobot's eyes narrowed at that, another growl emanating from his throat. "You think I'll join you _again_? After all the times you've spat on my name and insulted my honor? Hmph! I would sooner terminate _myself_ than bend my knee to the likes of _you_!" Again, the Tyrannosaurus couldn't help but laugh.

"Oh my! What _ideas_ you come up with! Then again… The amusement gained from watching such a spectacle may indeed make up for the loss of a potential soldier… Dearie me, _what _to do with you…" Megatron replied in exaggerated indecisiveness. Before Dinobot could formulate a retort the whole ship began to shake, his steel cage swinging precariously above the lava flow. Seconds later the klaxon began to blare, the feminine voice of the ship's computer chiming to life. "Alert; Perimeter breached. Maximal energy signatures detected." Megatron let out a growl. As if he didn't know already, what with the Maximals already pounding down the front door. He activated his communicator. "All hands engage the enemy at once!" he ordered before turning momentarily back towards the captive raptor. "As anticipated, you've proven to be sufficient bait to lure those Maximal fools into a suicide assault. I'll be back to deal with you once I've dispatched your comrades…" With that he left, off to taunt the Maximal leader no doubt.

Left in solitude, Dinobot was now free to devise a strategy for escape. The first obstacle he had to deal with was the lock to his cage. He knew Megatron's prisons. The doors would activate to a voice command. Unfortunately, he wasn't much for vocal forgery. That was always Tarantulus' thing. The only option that remained was to hack the system. He never was any good with hacking either. Though he hated to admit, this time it was the_ rodent _who possessed the expertise he lacked. Rattrap had busted out of these cages before. Still, that didn't do him much good now, not unless the Maximals could subdue the entire Predacon team on their own. So he was either to be rescued yet again or fall prey to Megatron's whims. Fucked either way, in his opinion. He'd always thought he'd die in the midst of battle, not as Megatron's plaything. He heaved a rumbling sigh. "Nothing _else_ in this venture turned out as it should have, so why should my death?" he growled ruefully, slamming his tail against the bars of his cage. A low creaking sound followed the blow, then a dull metallic bang. Dinobot's eye twitched slightly. "That had _better _not be what I think it is…" he hissed through gritted fangs. He glanced behind him and, sure enough, found the door to his cage wide open. His clawed hands balled up into tight fists. Rather than being delighted at such 'luck', the raptor felt truly insulted.

"Oh, you have _got_ to be slagging kidding me! Do they think me so helpless that they needn't even lock my cell? I swear, when I get through with that great purple buffoon, he'll be indistinguishable from the vermin's collection of _Waspinator parts!"_the warrior roared, his irate ranting echoing through the cavernous hold. Once he had the chance to cool off, he assessed the rest of his situation. Glancing over the edge of the cage floor he peered down into the river of molten lava below. Having landed in a highly active volcanic region, the lower panels of the ship had been melted away leaving precious few pathways over the river of death below. The hold was probably the worst area of the Darksyde, entirely inaccessible except by the Predacons' hover platforms. There were other ways out, however. He recalled that Rattrap, Cheetor, and Tigertron all used much the same method to escape Megatron's hanging cages. And, unless his eyes were playing tricks on him, it seemed the Predacon leader neglected to seal the venting duct through which the rodent had previously escaped. This time he would accept such luck without complaint.

The Cybervenom had almost completely worn off by now, so it was fairly easy for Dinobot to get the cage swinging. Once he built up enough momentum, he made a leap for the vent. He made it, but just barely. He had to dig his rear talons into the wall to keep from slipping down into the lava, but quickly pulled himself up. Well, so far so good. Now for the _hard_ part. Though escaping the ship shouldn't be that hard, what with all Predacons supposedly engaged in battle with the Maximals towards the front of the ship, Dinobot wouldn't assume it was safe to proceed without caution. No matter how inept Megatron though him in his current state, he'd never leave him completely unguarded. The warrior made his way carefully through the wide ducts, trying to make as little noise as possible. Eventually, once he was certain the coast was clear, he tore open a grate and leapt down into the main hall. Taking only a second to remember the layout of the ship, he moved quickly towards where he recalled a large hole having been blown in the hull. With any luck, the fighting would be well away from that side of the ship. The further he proceeded the more disgusted he became with the situation. To think, a warrior of _his_ caliber sneaking around in the shadows to _avoid_ conflict. He should have been fighting his way out tooth and claw. He'd just have to deal with it for now, he told himself. He'd repay the Predacons _tenfold _for the embarrassment he'd suffered through this whole fiasco just as soon as he could fight again.

"Nyuuurrrrrrzz… Lizard-Bot trying to escape! Wazzbinator will capture!" Dinobot let out a groan, shaking his head as the annoying buzz of the Predacon whipping boy resounded through the hall from behind him. Well, so much for_ that _plan… The warrior turned to face the bug-faced bot, who didn't even bother to arm himself with his pistol. Oh, that was it… He would not- _could_ not- stand for this any longer! He would not have _Waspinator_ of all bots thinking he can approach the raptor _unarmed!_ Letting out a bloodthirsty snarl, the raptor lunged forward. Before the wasp knew what was going on, he was pinned to the ground, one long curved talon hooked around his neck. Waspinator let out a terrified buzz as huge dagger fangs closed around his head. With one firm yank it was separated from the body before being tossed violently down the hall. There was a metallic crash accompanied by the insect's startled shout. Dinobot let a satisfied smirk spread across his lips. God, he'd wanted to do that for _weeks_. Not particularly with Waspinator exactly, but he'd take what he could get away with.

Optimus could feel the large boulder at his back begin to give way as Predacon fire hammered away at the other side. The instant there was a gap in the enemy's fire, the ape emerged from his cover to fire back with his wrist cannon. He only managed to get a few shots in before he felt a sharp burning pain in his right shoulder. He ducked back behind cover again, hand clutched over his singed shoulder plate with a pained grunt. Rattrap was ducked down next to him, only having gotten a few quick hits in himself. "Man, I knew they'd put up a fight, but this is gettin' crazy! How tha slag do we get in there?" the spy complained as he squeezed in one more shot, grazing Terrorsaur's leg. Rhinox glanced over to Optimus as he reloaded his submachine guns. The two of them had about the same idea. Rattrap glanced between the two, his optics widening. He knew that look. "_Whoah_ no… I ain't doin' _that_ again fer no one! _Especially _a slag spoutin' Saurian like Choppaface!" he protested, pressing himself against the crumbling boulder in an attempt to escape their plot. The two merely smirked at each other in response.

"Cheetor! Cover fire!" Optimus barked out as he and Rhinox charged out shoulder to shoulder. The Predacons paused their fire momentarily, if only because the sudden charge was unexpected. The two tackled into the enemy line. Rhinox managed to barrel over Scorponok before tossing Rattrap past. The spy tumbled to a stop along the side of the ship, but the ploy didn't go unnoticed. "Terrorsaur! After that rodent!" Megatron ordered just before being tackled to the ground by the Maximal leader. Optimus pressed the twin barrels of his arm cannon against his enemy's temple. "You've got _five seconds_ to order your men to stand down and release Dinobot before I carve a new _ventilation port_ through your _core processor!"_ he threatened, fiery red optics glaring down at the Predacon commander. Megatron let out a scoff. "That's quite a bold bluff coming from _you_, Primal… But a _bluff_ all the same. You Maximals never _could_ stomach taking a life, even if it is that of your _enemy._" He retorted confidently, even going so far as to lean into the ape's weapon as if daring him to fire. "Given the circumstances, I may just forget how much of a Maximal I am!" The rebuttal earned an amused chuckle from the psychopathic renegade. "Were it not my neck on the line, I would readily hold you to that statement. However, I've no intention of dying today, no…" Just then, Optimus felt a searing pain explode across his back. He looked back to see Inferno hovering some distance behind, his firearm still aimed down at the ape. He then felt the jagged vice of a Tyrannosaurus' jaws close around his head before shoving him to the ground. "Though I'm afraid the same cannot be said of _you!"_

"Heeeeeere, mousy mousy mousy!" Terrorsaur screeched as he flew after Rattrap. The rat dodged the Predacon's fire as best he could, quickly making his way towards the rear of the ship. Once the gap in the hull came into view, he chanced a few shots in the pterosaur's direction, landing one squarely in the face. "Hah! Take that, ya overgrown turkey!" he teased before slamming headlong into what had to be a steel wall. As he fell flat on his ass he heard a familiar growl. "Watch where you're going, vermin!" the raptor hissed out as he picked himself up off the ground. Rattrap raised a brow plate. "Hey, how'd you get out on yer own?" The spy's question was met with an immediate snarl. "Contrary to what _everyone _seems to believe_, Predacons_ included, I am still more than capable of taking care of myself!" Dinobot retorted just before two shots could be heard close by. The warrior felt them dig into his chest as he was sent flying backward, slamming into the hull of the Darksyde. "Oops! Sorry about that! I meant ta get ya right in tha _gut!_" Terrorsaur screeched, aiming his gun once more at the raptor. Before the Predacon could get in another shot, Rattrap was on his feet and was unloading his pistol into his enemy's hide. He only stopped once Terrorsaur collapsed to the ground in a charred heap. He then scrambled back to where Dinobot lay. "Hey, Choppaface! You still alive?" The raptor let out another growl, trying to hide how much he struggled to pick himself up. "I told you I can take care of…" he trailed off, a sudden flood of warning signals overwhelming his processor. "Warning; Power reserves nearing critical levels. Internal repairs cannot be completed. Initiating stasis lock." Dinobot managed one last defiant growl before everything went black.


	7. Seeds of the Future

Primal Hunter  
>by: Takashidaimao<br>Chapter 7: Seeds of the Future

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><p>The city spread out like a vast sea of gems, the countless lights twinkling in what seemed to be eternal darkness. The streets were bustling with activity, Maximals from all over Cybertron converging for both work and pleasure. Cybertropolis had always been an icon to the people, a shimmering symbol of progress. Of course, it was only that way for the Maximals.<p>

"Are you envious, boy?" The Predacon child jumped to his feet at the sound of the gruff voice that had snuck up behind him, causing him to abandon his perch that overlooked the capitol. He spun around to see a very old bot sitting against the wall behind him. The boy looked him over. The man looked as though he'd been rebuilt several times, panels of mismatched metals bolted to his thin frame. A leathery hood covered most of his face, though he could see several rusted metal cords draping down over the old man's shoulders. The child reached for the small knife he kept to protect himself, unsure of this man's intentions. He didn't seem to notice the defensive stance, as he continued on with what he was saying.

"I've seen you up here quite a bit, watching them down there. I do it too, so do not be ashamed." He continued before pulling himself up to his feet, a shower of rust shaking off his form. The boy took a step back, narrowing his optics. This man didn't speak like any Predacon he'd ever met. He was being far too… _pleasant_. "Cybertropolis was meant to be a symbol of unity, an icon built to herald an era where Maximals and Predacons lived as one. Yet what do we see here? _Maximals_ living in the lap of luxury, while _our_ kind are only permitted to gaze from afar, living in _slums_. Does that sound fair to you, boy?" At that, the boy sheathed his blade, shaking his head in reply to the elder bot. The old man gave a small nod. "I've no grudge against the Maximals. I knew a few in my younger years. Some of them can be decent. But I cannot condone the actions of those who do not honor their promises, even if the generation that made those pacts has long since expired." He paused, looking away from the city to glance down at the young bot. A small smile could be seen spreading across the man's face from under his hood. "Perhaps it'll be your generation that finally brings the Predacons back to their former glory. What's your name, little warrior?" The boy hesitated, casting a sideways glance down at Cybertropolis once more. "It's Dinobot."

* * *

><p>Dinobot's optics slowly blinked online as the repair chamber door lifted open. Rattrap and Cheetor were already turned in their chairs, waiting for the raptor's repairs to complete. He grabbed hold of the chamber's edge to pull himself out, a hand instinctively moving to his midsection. He froze. His body had gone back to normal. <em>Completely<em> normal. The stasis chamber in his abdomen was gone. "What happened?" he asked immediately. The two gave each other uneasy glances. Again, Rattrap was the one to deliver the bad news. "Well… It's like this, Choppaface… Rhinox said when ya were thrown into the side of the ship, it messed up the stasis chamber pretty bad. There was no way he could repair it, so… He had to remove it." A long silence followed. After a moment Cheetor glanced down at the rat, narrowing his optics as though to tell him that he'd left out a key detail. Dinobot didn't seem to notice. "I see… Where's Optimus? I… I expect he'd want me to report immediately once my repairs have completed." He replied, the last part added in a half-hearted attempt to maintain his 'business as usual' façade. He wouldn't allow those two a chance to think that he was running off to seek consolation from his mate, even if that was indeed what he was doing. The two were polite enough to pretend to be fooled. "Yeah, you got _that_ right. He said he'd be in his quarters waitin' for ya." Without another word, Dinobot left down the hall. Once the warrior was out of earshot, Cheetor folded his arms across his chest plate, glaring down at the rat. "Y'know… You _kinda _made it sound like-" The feline's scolding was cut off by the sudden outburst of hysterical laughter from Rattrap. Cheetor shook his head. "You're an asshole…"

Dinobot found himself standing in front of Optimus' door for several minutes. How could he possibly face his mate? He'd failed to protect their child, a seemingly simple task. He couldn't help but think of everything he could have done differently to prevent such an outcome. Of course, hadn't this been what he wanted to begin with? Being rid of that embarrassment? He vented a deep sigh. He'd make sure he would be careful what he wished for from now on…

When Dinobot finally entered the commander's quarters, he found himself staring with optics wide and mouth agape. Optimus was sitting over by the large observation deck built into the room, hull still riddled with damage from the previous battle. The pale light of the full moon illuminated the ball of dull green plate-like scales that was curled up in the ape's arms, small silver hands clinging to the thick black fur lining his chest plate. Optimus looked up with a huge smile plastered across his singed face, seemingly without a care in the world.

"_I'm going to murder that rodent!"_Optimus was a bit taken aback by the outburst. It wasn't exactly the greeting he was expecting, but he supposed it was a good sign. Bickering with Rattrap meant he was feeling a lot better. The little bot squirmed around against his father's hold, two bright red optics searching the room for the source of all that shouting. The second he caught sight of Dinobot his face lit up, those tiny hands reaching out expectantly. Optimus let out a chuckle. "Well, I guess I didn't have to worry about him not recognizing you."

Dinobot approached after a short pause, staring down at the infant. When he wasn't immediately picked up, the boy fidgeted against his father's arms, mumbling wordlessly. The warrior glanced away to his mate as if unsure what he wanted to do. Optimus laughed, shaking his head. "You can take him whenever you want. He_ is _your son, after all." He assured, holding the boy out for the raptor to take. Hesitantly, Dinobot took the child, cradling him against his chest plate. The little bot immediately clung to his creator, pale blue face nuzzling against brown leathery scales. Optimus was relieved to see a small smile spread across the warrior's face.

"I don't suppose you've given him a name yet?" he asked once the child had curled up and quickly fallen asleep in his arms. Optimus shook his head. "Not yet. I was going to wait to ask your opinion _before_ doing something like that." He replied, folding his arms across his chest plate. Dinobot's smile shifted into a smirk, as he recognized that tone. "Oh? I take it you found my scan, then…" he replied casually, to which Optimus vented a sigh. "An _Indian Gavial?_ I don't know how you found one in the middle of Africa, much less how you managed to get close enough to scan in without being torn to _shreds_, but… Don't you think it would have been wise to choose a beast form that was a little less _aggressive?_" the Maximal leader scolded, not too happy about his son being given the form of a predatory animal at such a young age. The raptor merely scoffed. "Honestly, does this child _look_ as though he's waiting to rip us apart? Besides, the only difference is that I'll be _hunting_ his food for him rather than having to _forage _for nuts and berries like some…" he stopped there, knowing better than to continue on with that statement. Optimus let out another sigh, slowly shaking his head. "I suppose you're right… Either way, it's not like we can change it now."

For several minutes after that the two remained silent. Dinobot took that time to look over the infant. The features his optics were continually drawn to were the thick silvery cords running back against his skull to the top of his neck, mimicking the flow of human hair. "Gorgonus." Optimus looked up at the sudden statement, furrowing his brow plates. "His name. I'd like to call him Gorgonus. As long as that's alright with you, of course." Dinobot explained, running a claw lightly down one of those cords. "That's fine with me. Someone important to you?" Optimus asked, guessing perhaps his mate was naming their son after someone. Dinobot looked away, hesitant to answer. "Just an old man who saw fit to turn a street urchin into a warrior…" The ape couldn't help but smile at that. He supposed that was the closest the raptor could come to naming the boy after one of his own parents, from the sound of it at least. "Gorgonus it is, then."

* * *

><p>Rattrap stared intently at the monitor screen in front of him, though he may as well be staring at a brick wall. He wasn't focused at all on the task at hand, rather thinking about all that had gone on in the past few days. Optimus was walking around with a grin on his face that you couldn't have wiped off if you tried, not that the rat could complain about their fearless leader being in a seemingly permanent good mood. Gorgonus was a cute kid and all, very energetic and lovable, but the spy insisted it was all a ploy by the little 'Anti-Primus' to lure them into a false sense of security. Cheetor had been getting a little lippy with him whenever he said anything negative about the mechling, personally believing the kid to be a perfect little angel. Rhinox? Well, he <em>still<em> owed the rat fifty creds… As for Dinobot, he seemed to be pretty much back to his normal self, save for one small detail; he'd been completely _ignoring _Rattrap's heckling. He couldn't believe he was saying it, but it just wasn't any fun unless he got Choppaface mad enough to want to scrap him.

Suddenly it seemed another opportunity arose to get under the raptor's scales. The exit lift door opened up, the tall warrior striding casually in. A smirk spread across Rattraps face as a faint squeaking sound reached his audio sensors. "Hey, you come down with a bad case of _rust_ while you were laid up with tha kid?" he joked without ever turning to face his target. Surprisingly, he heard a familiar growl. "I most certainly have _not_. Not that it would be any of _your_ business either way, _rodent._" Dinobot hissed in rebuttal, to which Rattrap turned around in his chair, folding arms over chest plate. "Oh yeah? Then what's all that squeakin'?" This seemed to have been just the question the Saurian was waiting for, as a wide smirk formed across his lips. He then revealed the hand he'd had behind his back, holding out a field mouse that looked about ready to have a heart attack. "Food for my young." He replied with an amused chuckle. The look of horror on the short bot's face was absolutely priceless. Rattrap could be seen balling his fists at his side, but seemed too angry to formulate a proper comeback. "Oh, you li'l-! You think that's funny, do ya?" he shouted out, to which the raptor only laughed more. "Not at all. Honestly, the idea of my child eating _vermin_ doesn't exactly sit well with me, but with his _small size_ and all… It'll have to do until he can handle _proper _prey." He retorted casually, inspecting the frightened field mouse as though it were unworthy to feed to his child. Before the rodent had time to stammer out another half-baked remark, Dinobot decided to take one last stab at him.

"Oh, don't get so uptight about it. It could be worse, after all. If it weren't for Optimus' _insistence_, I'd have already conditioned Gorgonus to devour his prey _alive._" With that, the large bot shifted one of his dual thumbs, snapping the mouse's neck with one clean movement. He then left Rattrap to stand there with his mouth hanging wide open, having kept his hungry child waiting too long to warrant teasing the rat any longer. Once the raptor was out of sight, the shorter bot immediately turned to face where Cheetor was sitting at his station. "Did you see that? He's trainin' that slaggin' brat ta _eat me!"_he squeaked out, earning a chuckle from the feline. "Don't you think you're overreacting a little? I mean, you did kinda deserve it, what with that 'prank' you pulled a few days ago." He replied, referring to how the rat had made the raptor believe his son had died. That was pretty damn low, even for Rattrap. In his opinion, the rat deserved every ounce of torment Dinobot was about to dish out. Rattrap merely folded his arms across his chest plate again, apparently not inclined to agree with the young scout. "Yeah, well… Two can play at that game!" "But… You're the one that started it…" "Ah, shaddap…"

* * *

><p>Dinobot woke up late the next morning, Gorgonus having decided that the middle of the night was the perfect time to be wide awake and squirming around so much he nearly wound up on the floor several times. Since the little bot was born the raptor had taken to sleeping in his own quarters again most of the time, Optimus' bed being just a little too cramped with the three of them there. The child, obviously, slept with his creator. Of course, that didn't always mean he'd wake up with him. Often whenever Dinobot slept in he'd awake to find that Gorgonus had already been taken by his father, just as the case was today. The large lizard let out a big yawn, the tip of his tail twitching slightly as he stretched. He then glanced sleepily down at where the little crocodilian had been curled up next to him only to find an empty space. Again, since this was more or less normal by now, he wasn't inclined to freak out about it. He did have the mind to peek under the bed, checking to make sure the child hadn't somehow crawled off and was hiding somewhere. Finding nothing, he hopped down off the steel platform and made his way out the door and down the hall, transforming into his robot form as he went.<p>

Dinobot found Optimus sitting at his desk in his quarters, though the boy didn't seem to be with him. As he walked in, the commander looked up, greeting him with a warm smile. "Good morning. I take it Gorgonus didn't let you sleep?" he asked with a small chuckle. The raptor nodded lightly, still scanning the room with his optics. "You wouldn't find it so amusing if it were _you _he was keeping up every night… Speaking of which, I take it you came and got him earlier?" Optimus gave a small nod. "Airazor reported in from her exploration mission and wanted to meet him. I didn't think you'd mind if he was taken off your hands for a few hours." At that, a smirk spread across the warriors lips. So, Airazor was kind enough to watch their son for a few hours? Knowing that woman she would be reluctant to give the child up even when they went to retrieve him. That meant the two of them could be alone for pretty much as long as they wanted. Dinobot leaned over the ape's desk, cradling a hand against the side of his mate's face before pulling his lips into his own. Optimus stood up from his seat, leaning into the kiss. He only broke away momentarily to nod towards the bed.

Barely a moment passed before the two were at it again, this time in a more comfortable spot. Optimus had the raptor bent back over his bed, grasping him by the hips as he bit down on his mate's neck. Dinobot let out a pleasured groan, claws grabbing ahold of the thick black fur on the ape's back plate. A smile spread across the commander's face. He had no idea how much he'd missed being with the raptor like this until they were finally able to do it again. It was almost as if the gap that had grown between the two had instantly snapped shut again. Of course, this wouldn't stop him from trying to get him to open up in other ways, but for now he would enjoy the moment.

"I should let Rattrap watch Gorgonus more often…" He commented before moving up to lock lips with his mate again. He was stopped when Dinobot grabbed him by his shoulder plates, holding him away. "You _what?_ You said _Airazor_ had him!" he growled out suddenly. Optimus hesitated to answer, if only because the reaction he got to such a simple comment was so unexpected. "Ummm… He is. I mean… He _should _be. Rattrap came in about an hour ago and offered to take him out to her."

* * *

><p>Moments later Optimus found himself following Dinobot down the hall towards the bridge, the same look of disappointment on his face that one would find on a child who was told to drop their favorite video game and go visit their grandparents. He didn't see what the big deal was. It's not like he left the kid with <em>Megatron<em> or something. The raptor was fully aware that his mate failed to understand the gravity of the situation. He and the rat had a very unique relationship. It was a constant game of payback between the two, and nothing was off-limits. Absolutely _nothing_.

When the two made their way onto the bridge, at first it looked as though Dinobot had been worrying for nothing. Cheetor was on patrol, Rhinox holed up in his lab, Rattrap at his monitor station, and Airazor sitting in an adjacent seat with Gorgonus in her lap. Optimus folded his arms over his chest plate impatiently, optics narrowed as if to say 'you stopped me for this?' Dinobot let out a low growl, not able to believe that the rodent hadn't done anything. He marched forward to Airazor's side, at which point she looked up with a huge grin. Gorgonus looked up as well, holding his arms out excitedly when he saw his creator near. The raptor's brow plate twitched. It seemed the hawk had just gotten done weaving a collection of light blue mountain flowers around the silver cords that draped down the boy's head. "Doesn't she look cute?" Airazor commented with a giggle, at which point Rattrap could be heard stifling a laugh. The warrior growled again, mostly towards the rat. "He's a _boy!_" he hissed as he picked the child up from his spot on the hawk's lap. Airazor cringed slightly. "But Rattrap said… I'm sorry! I didn't realize!" she apologized furiously as the raptor began gently plucking the flowers out of the boy's cords. As he tossed one to the side, Gorgonus managed to grab it out of the air. He then placed it haphazardly back on top of his head before letting out a delighted giggle. "Oh for the love of…" Dinobot snarled, slapping his free hand over his optics and shaking his head. Rattrap couldn't contain his laughter at this point, practically falling out of his chair in hysterics. Optimus could also be heard letting out an amused chuckle.

"C'mon, Dinobot… He seems to like it. Why don't you just let him keep the flowers?" the commander interjected with a smile, picking up one of the flowers from the floor and handing it to the small bot, at which point it was immediately stuck back where he thought it should go. Dinobot groaned in defeat as the child placed his little hands on top of the remaining flowers on his head in an attempt to prevent his creator from removing them again. Optimus laid a hand briefly on his mate's shoulder, essentially telling him he'd be in his quarters whenever the raptor wanted to see him. Airazor snuck off at about the same time the ape left, aiming to get as far away from the surely angry raptor as possible. Soon, it was down to just Rattrap, Dinobot, and Gorgonus on the bridge. The raptor narrowed his optics at the rat.

"So? What _else_ did you do?" Dinobot questioned, giving the rodent a suspicious look. Rattrap gave an exaggerated look of surprise. "Why, _whatever_ do ya mean, Choppaface?" The raptor immediately retorted with a growl. "You know _exactly_ what I mean! That can't _possibly_ be all you've done!" he snarled out, to which Rattrap let out a chuckle. "What makes you think you comin' all tha way out here _wasn't_ part of it? I saw that look on tha Boss Monkey's face. You two were gettin' ready ta _bump uglies_, right? Then you hear I got yer kid an' ya rush out here like Sentinel's on full alert. Now, not _only_ did ya ruin tha only chance ta be alone with 'Lover Boy' that yer gonna have in a good long time, but whenever ya finally _do_ yer gonna be paranoid that I'm up ta sumthin'. And _that_, my dear Lizard Lips, is 'mission accomplished' in my book. Tha li'l gator likin' tha flowers in his 'hair' is just a bonus." He explained with a satisfied chuckle. Dinobot glared at the smug vermin, the full scope of his plan finally sinking in. "You're going to regret this…" "Oh, I know. Trust me… I _know_…"


	8. Little Hunter

Primal Hunter  
>by: Takashidaimao<br>Chapter 8: Little Hunter

* * *

><p>The Axalon fell into a peaceful silence as the sun set and everyone headed back to their quarters for the night. Gorgonus, having been playing with Cheetor all day, was already fast asleep against his creator's chest plate, too exhausted to bother giving him trouble tonight. Dinobot was grateful, as it meant he'd be getting the first decent night's sleep he'd had in weeks. To that end, he tried to be as careful as possible not to wake the child as he made his way to bed, a task that was made slightly harder due to the fact that it was awkward carrying the boy while he was in his beast mode. When he made it to the room he laid the little gavial on one side of the bed before transforming into his raptor form and joining him. As he curled up to go to sleep the child unconsciously scurried over to lie against his side, curling up to mimic the way the warrior laid. Dinobot let out an amused chuckle before wrapping his long tail around the two of them and closing his eyes.<p>

The calm of the night wouldn't last, however. An hour after everyone had retired for the evening a metal grate came loose from the maintenance shaft it covered, falling to the ground with a resounding clang. After a moment, two red optics peered out from the shaft, ensuring the coast was clear before jumping out into the hall. "See? What'd I tell ya? Easy as takin' oil from a scrapling!" Terrorsaur rasped out in as low a tone as his vocal unit could manage. Seconds later, Waspinator came tumbling out of the shaft. "Nyuuur… Maximals find us, Wazzbinator get scrapped! Spider-bot find out his shield gizmo stolen, _Wazzbinator get scrapped! _Why Wazzbinator listen to Birdie-bot?" the wasp complained as he staggered up to his feet. He was immediately shushed by his teammate. "Keep your voice down, you idiot! If they find us in here before we get our hands on that brat, we're dead!"

"Wazzbinator still don't get it… Why Birdie-bot want to steal Gator-bot?" Terrorsaur let out an annoyed groan in response, hanging his head. "Oh, come on! Even _you_ gotta see what we could do if we get our hands on that brat! If we have that kid, none of the Maximals can _touch_ us, _especially _that traitor Dinobot! They wouldn't dare risk Primal's precious li'l ball o' scrap getting' hurt! They'll be linin' up ta kiss my exhaust port to keep 'im safe! Then, once I have the Maximals serving me, Megatron won't stand a chance! I'll overthrow that fool and conquer the galaxy myself!" the pterosaur screeched excitedly, earning him a frantic shush from his insectoid companion. The red reptilian bot quickly clamped a hand over his mouth as the two listened for a tense moment. Once they were sure they hadn't alerted any of the Maximals, they proceeded down the hall towards their objective.

They found Dinobot's room easily enough, mainly due to the fact that the closer they got the more Waspinator would freak out. He knew all too well that the level of fury about to descend upon him if the raptor caught them trying to kidnap his son was beyond description. He already had the image of an absolutely livid Dinobot with his claws around the wasp's neck, fangs bared in anticipation of the unthinkable horrors about to be unleashed. By the time they reached the end of the barracks, Waspinator was shaking so bad Terrorsaur was sure he'd fall apart before long. He rolled his optics. "Oh, don't be such a baby… Just get in there and grab the brat." The urging only served to deepen the insect's panic attack. The pterosaur let out a sigh. Well, that didn't work. Suddenly, he had an idea. "Hey, c'mon… When I overthrow Megatron I'll, uhhh… I'll let ya do whatever ya want to Inferno." He offered hesitantly at first, unsure of what to bribe the insect with. For whatever reason, that seemed to do the trick. Waspinator's antennae perked up, his shaking ceased. "Wazzbinator gets to do naughty things to Ant-bot?" Terrorsaur could only stare for a moment, but eventually managed to force a smile, nodding slowly. This time he got the mental image of himself holding Inferno down, cackling in anticipation of the unthinkable horrors about to be unleashed. Horrors of a different brand than Dinobot's, but horrors none the less, I assure you. With renewed confidence Waspinator marched up to the raptor's room, Terrorsaur giving a silent gag of disgust once the wasp turned his back to him.

There was no need to hack the door, as it hadn't been locked. Dinobot had gotten into the habit of just leaving it open in case one of the other Maximals wanted to take Gorgonus for a while and let him sleep. When the door slid open Waspinator's antennae drooped. The first thing he saw was the brown velociraptor hide stretched on a frame hanging on the far wall, a trophy he'd kept from Megatron's clone of himself. It served as a grim warning of what happened when the raptor caught an intruder. Waspinator's mandibles began to quiver as he looked back at Terrorsaur, as if begging him not to make him do it. The pterosaur merely gave the bug a shove, pushing him into the room. The wasp now stared down at the large sleeping predator, his target curled closely against the raptor's side. Waspinator took one last glance back at his comrade, who merely mouthed the words 'Just grab him' from the safety of the doorway.

Waspinator approached the sleeping reptiles, reaching out a shaking hand hesitantly. Just inches before grabbing him, the little gavial's eyes popped open, causing the insect to jump back. Gorgonus stared up at the Predacon for a moment as if trying to figure out if this was another of his parent's friends that he hadn't met yet. He soon determined that he was not. Letting out a chirp, he pushed his head up against his creator's jaw, trying to wake him. Waspinator's wings fluttered nervously, standing ready to dive out of the room as the raptor stirred. Fortunately, Dinobot never bothered to open his eyes. "Enough… I'm not dealing with your nonsense tonight…" he grumbled, nudging the child away gently with his snout. Waspinator vented out the breath he'd been holding once the raptor settled down to go back to sleep. Gorgonus let out a growl, crawling backwards as the wasp reached forward to grab him. Suddenly, when Waspinator went to snatch the boy up, the infant gavial lurched forward, jaws snapping shut around the Predacon's hand. The insect had to stifle a yelp as the crocodilian took his hand off with one clean jerk. The appendage was then spat back at him, bouncing off the side of his head.

Terrorsaur slapped a hand over his optics as the insect darted out the door to cower behind the wall. Contrary to his expectations, even _that _didn't wake the raptor. Dinobot merely gave the child a growl of warning before shifting position and returning to sleep. It seemed if he wanted it done right, Terrorsaur would have to do it himself. The Predacon marched into the room without any fear of waking the warrior. Gorgonus emitted another growl as this second stranger approached. Terrorsaur wasn't about to be scared off by some child, though. This was going to be the easiest victory in history! Well, it was supposed to be, anyway. Just as he went to grab the boy, the gavial opened his mouth once more. Before it could snap shut on his hand, the pterosaur grabbed ahold of each jaw, holding the mouth open. 'Ain't gonna get me with that one!' he thought with a smirk. A smirk that almost immediately disappeared when he saw the laser charging in the back of the reptile's throat. The explosion that followed sent the two Predacons into the hall in pieces, as well as most of the wall.

"What in the fiery pits of the Inferno?" Dinobot shouted as he awoke with a start, jumping up to his feet on the platform bed. His eyes widened when he saw the collapsed wall that once shielded his quarters from the hall outside, smoldering rubble strewn everywhere. He glanced down at Gorgonus in time to catch him disengaging his weapon, the barrel of the energy cannon retracting back into his mouth. The raptor could only stare as the young gavial let out a small burp, a puff of smoke wafting out of his nostrils. He then looked up at his creator and gave him a crocodilian purr, his tail flicking back and forth as if nothing had happened. "You've got to be kidding me…"

Moments later Dinobot found himself making his way down the hall towards the other end of the barracks, the tip of his tail flicking in mild annoyance. Gorgonus hung by his own tail from his creators jaws, chirping happily as he bounced in the air. The entire time the dinosaur could be heard complaining aloud to the child through gritted teeth as to not drop him. "When I find out who activated your weapons grid, I _will_ slaughter them. And I've already got a good idea who I should start with. Oh, and don't you think _you're_ getting off scott free just because you're still an infant! _I'm _certainly not going to take the blame when Rhinox sees the mess you've made of my quarters…"

Soon enough, the raptor found his way to his destination. The door slid open at his silent command as he strode through. Optimus was splayed out over his bed in beast form, snoring softly. His snoring came to an abrupt stop when he felt something being dropped on his stomach. The gorilla blinked wearily and glanced down at the little gavial that had been plopped haphazardly on his midsection. Furrowing his brow, he looked up at Dinobot, who instantly gave his mate a growl of annoyance. "_You _deal with the little swamp monster for a night!" he snarled. Rather than storming out as the commander expected, the raptor instead muscled his way in next to the ape and was asleep before he could be asked what happened.

* * *

><p>Gorgonus stared up with wide, curious optics as the science officer examined him intently. "Well, he doesn't seem to be damaged at all. My guess is he blasted them before they ever touched him." Rhinox commented, replacing his diagnostic scanner back where it belonged under the protest of the young bot, who grabbed at the device wanting to see what it was. Optimus furrowed his brow plates, shaking his head in slight disbelief. "I still don't understand how he did it in the first place. Didn't you disable his weapons systems?" he asked, concern apparent in his voice. He couldn't hardly believe it even now. When Dinobot came into his quarters complaining about their son causing trouble he'd thought he was just up to his normal squirming. Imagine his surprise when he'd woken up the next morning to find half the hallway trashed to hell. Imagine his further surprise when he saw the security footage from the camera out in the hall and discovered that it was the <em>infant<em> that had caused the damaged and that it was because of a _Predacon_ infiltration that he attacked. "I did, but it looks like he's overridden the command somehow..."

Immediately, both of them looked over at Dinobot, who had been standing off to the side with a prideful smirk on his face ever since seeing the security data. Seeing two of his old comrades getting blown to scrap by his little boy was quite the ego boost, even if it _was_ just Terrorsaur and Waspinator. A kill was a kill. Optimus rolled his optics. Great. Just what he needed. Now his mate was going to be all gung-ho about training the boy to fight when he couldn't even _stand_ on his own yet. "Can you make sure it won't happen again?" the commander asked, at which point he could have sworn he saw Dinobot's shoulders droop in disappointment. Such overly cautious bores, these Maximals... Personally, he'd have liked to see the same thing happen to a certain rat, by _accident_ of course. Rhinox nodded in reply. "Already done. He won't be shooting anything unless either you, Dinobot or myself gives him clearance." At that, the raptor seemed to cheer up a bit. At least he was going to be given access as well. Optimus let out a sigh, giving his mate a sideways glance. He supposed that was better than nothing.

The two emerged from the science lab minutes later, Gorgonus babbling wordlessly up at his father. Only Cheetor was left waiting for them out on the bridge, Rattrap having been stuck with cleaning up last night's mess. The two Preds had managed to pull themselves together enough to drag themselves out of the Maximal base, only a few parts and pieces left in their wake. The young scout smiled when the infant looked down at him from his spot against Optimus' chest. "Hey, little man! I heard you took on a couple of Preds last night. Way to turn those two goons to scrap!" he said, earning a delighted giggle from the tiny bot. Optimus let out a small chuckle. "Not exactly what I had in mind for his first combat experience," he began, thinking that he'd have preferred that his son never had to experience battle, regardless of his age. "but I suppose it turned out as well as it possibly could have, given the circumstances."

"As amusing as it was to watch my child obliterate those two imbeciles into hot steaming slag, I personally believe that the fact that they managed to penetrate our shields and infiltrate our base is one that should be _immediately_ investigated." Dinobot snarled, folding his arms over his chest plate. Optimus raised a brow at that. "Well, I must say I'm shocked_. You?_ Suggesting _preventative maintenance?_ Usually you would be insisting upon an all out assault on the Predacon base right about now, not improving our defenses." Dinobot merely scoffed at the acusatory comment. "Those idiots were inches away from taking my son from me. I assure you, they will not be afforded another such opportunity so long as I'm alive. Even if that means I must fight_... defensively_."

Optimus couldn't help but smile at that, even as Dinobot looked away. Well, it looked like the stubborn warrior really could be talked into changing his ways after all. "In that case, why don't we go back and see if Rhinox has any ideas on how to increase the shields' resistance to hacking?" he offered, the mild grin never leaving his lips. The commander then turned back to face Cheetor. "I don't suppose you'd mind watching Gorgonus for a while?" It was a rhetorical question at this point, the feline's response being a huge grin. He loved babysitting for Optimus. It was by far the easiest job he could be given, and playing with the little bot was actually a lot of fun. He had no idea why Rattrap had made such a big deal about it before.

* * *

><p>The infant gavial chipped happily as he bounced lightly on the trotting cheetah's back. He rarely got to go outside, so he was always ecstatic when he got the opportunity. He nuzzled against Cheetor's soft fur, closing his eyes. The warm sun felt good against his thick plated scales. So good in fact that he nearly fell asleep. That is, until he heard a very familiar sound. The little crocodilian's eyes popped open as the sound of falling water came within audio range. Cheetor couldn't help but laugh to himself as Gorgonus began fidgeting around excitedly, realizing where they were headed.<p>

It was a small spring area, water trickling down from sections higher up the mountain. It wasn't far from the base, as per Optimus' orders. As soon as they neared the spring Gorgonus scrambled off Cheetor's back, ploping to the ground before squirming around on his belly, going absolutely nowhere. Cheetor let out a snicker as he watched the boy trying desperately to get to the water. After having his fill of watching the kid struggle, he nudged him forward with his nose until he was able to slip into the spring. Gorgonus disappeared almost instantly, a set of wedge shaped ripples the only thing to give his position away as he glided just under the surface off the water. Cheetor curled up at the edge of the pool, a content smile on his face. The kid couldn't walk, but boy could he swim.

After a moment, the ripples disappeared. Cheetor stared at the glassy surface of the water, brow furrowed in concentration. When Gorgonus didn't immediately surface, the young scout jumped up to his paws. "Aw, c'mon kid! Don't disappear on me like that! Optimus is gonna kill me if I lose you!" He shouted frantically. He didn't even want to _think_ about what Dinobot would do to him if he came back without his son. The feline trotted around the spring, trying to see through the water to find the little gavial. Thankfully, a long reptilian snout emerged nearby. Cheetor let out a relieved sigh as the boy bobbed over towards him. Once at the edge of the bank he popped his head up, giving his guardian a chirp.

"Oh, thank the _Matrix_... You scared me for a minute there." he commented, laying back down. Gorgonus continued his chirping, staring intently up at the feline. Cheetor raised a brow, lifting his head up from his crossed over paws. "What's got you excited all of a sudden?" he asked, tilting his head to one side. The gavial mimicked the expression before diving back down into the depths of the spring. When not immediately followed, he surfaced again and resumed his chirping. Cheetor let out a reluctant groan, face falling into his paws. "Aw man... Look, I'm not exactly the best _swimmer_..." The excuse didn't seem to satisfy Gorgonus, as he then dipped back down into the water just far enough that his eyes remained visible. When he emerged this time, it was to spray the cat with a mouthful of water. "H-hey!" he shouted as he shook the liquid from his fur. He glared back down at the little crocodilian, who was back to his chirping routine. Cheetor gave a defeated sigh. Well, he was already soaked...

Hesitantly, the cheetah stuck his face into the cool surface of the pool. The first thing he saw was Gorgonus zooming past on his way to the bottom. After his eyes had a chance to adjust, he saw what the little bot had been trying to show him. "Jumpin' gyros! It's a stasis pod!" he sputtered out after pulling his head out. Satisfied that he'd done his job, the infant gavial had taken to floating lazily on his back, still starting towards his guardian with a curious expression. Cheetor gave the boy a grin. "Wow, you're on a roll today, huh?" Gorgonus replied with a crocodian purr, closing his eyes contently as he drifted aimlessly across the surface of the water.

Within minutes of receiving Cheetor's report, the others joined him at the scene and were busy hoisting the pod from its watery tomb. Rigging a simple pulley crane was easy enough to do. Diving to the bottom of the spring to attach the rope, however, was not so easy. Due to a severe lack of volunteers, Optimus was left with the task. As it happened, the pod was the very one Rhinox had been tracking several weeks beforehand, but had lost due to heavy interference. This meant that it would be empty and no poor protoform will have drowned. Soon they would be heading back to base with Rhinox leading the way, the stasis pod strapped securely to a makeshift cart towed behind him. Cheetor and Rattrap followed closely behind, then Optimus. Dinobot dragged behind a ways, Gorgonus fast asleep on his back. He'd been silent ever since Cheetor reported finding the pod. Optimus glanced back over his shoulder towards his mate, who was staring off into space with a troubled look on his face. The ape slowed his pace, dropping back to walk at the raptor's side.

"Hey, you okay?" he asked softly, snapping the warrior out of his daze. He gave the commander a brief glance before looking away again. "Perfectly fine. Never better." he replied quickly, staring off into the trees. Optimus narrowed his eyes. "No, you're not. Something's been bugging you, and I think it has something to do with that pod." The raptor flinched slightly at the accusation. Optimus let out a sigh. He thought that was it. "I know how you feel, buy it's not like you'll never see him again. As soon as we get back to Cybertron it'll be safe enough to let him out." There was a long pause during which Dinobot never turned to look at him. That worried the ape. "You _are_ planning on returning with us... Aren't you?"

Finally the raptor gave his mate a sideways glance. It was a discussion they hadn't had for some time. The last two times the subject had been brought up, Dinobot had outright refused to go back with the Maximals, even choosing to stay on a primitive world over returning home. He had valid reasons, even Optimus couldn't deny that. What awaited the warrior back on their homeworld was most likely prison, if not death. The instant he broke into the archive and helped Megatron steal the golden disk he became a fugitive. At this point the only thing he wasn't sure about was who would get their hands on him first, the Maximal council of elders or the Tri-Predacus council. The situation had changed since the two of them had last spoke about it, however. He had something to go back for. Dinobot let out a sigh. "I suppose there are worse fates..." Optimus smiled. "I'm glad to hear it."

* * *

><p>The ship seemed quieter than usual that night. Rhinox had no trouble setting up the stasis pod to hold Gorgonus; the little bot hadn't even woken up by the time they placed him inside. Dinobot hadn't said a word to anyone since they returned. Optimus was beginning to worry again. He hated seeing his mate so depressed.<p>

Later on in the evening as he made his way back towards the barracks he decided perhaps he'd better go talk to him again. He already knew what was wrong, of course. The warrior had convinced himself that he'd never see his son again, despite the commander's reassurance. Optimus aimed to convince him otherwise. There was no way he could just let Dinobot be taken away to rot in a cell for the rest of his life, not after all he'd done to atone for his mistakes. Not after all he'd done with Optimus... He couldn't allow it! Surely he could convince at least the Maximal side to see that the warrior had really changed. That he was no longer to be considered a Predacon.

The hall had been repaired sometime earlier in the day, so the commander made his way towards Dinobot's quarter's. The door slid open at his silent command, but revealed nothing but an empty room. Optimus furrowed his brow plates. Perhaps it was a little harder on the raptor than he first thought. Immediately, he turned around and headed back towards the bridge. Gorgonus' pod had been set up in the secondary lab area, all systems connected directly to the ship's power supply. Sure enough, that's where he found him. Optimus vented a sigh as the door slid open. Dinobot was curled up just in front of where the pod lay, the tip of his tail flicking back and forth in time with his light snoring. He intended to stay as close to the boy as physically possible, protecting him with his life should the Predacons invade again. He'd probably never admit it, but he really did love that boy.

The next morning, everything appeared to have gone back to normal. Cheetor, Rattrap, and Rhinox were at their usual monitor stations. Dinobot was staring intently at a three dimensional projection of the Darksyde, supposedly updating the layout to include alterations he'd seen while captured. Really he was staring right through it, mind wandering elsewhere. He was so lost in thought that he nearly made a grab for his sword when he felt something touch him on the small of his back. The raptor was relieved he resisted his reflex to attack. When he turned around he came face to face with a smiling Optimus, the small bot in his arms reaching out expectantly. The warriors lips betrayed the smile he'd tried very hard to conceal before he glanced back up at his mate. "I don't see why he can't come out every now and then. It doesn't seem fair to keep him in that pod _all_ the time." the ape explained, answering the raptor's unspoken question. Dinobot took the child, who immediately gave a delighted squeal at being held by his creator again. The raptor glanced over his shoulder towards his comrades' stations, all of whom were kind enough to pretend not to notice the scene behind them. He then turned back to face his mate. "Thank you..." he whispered, leaning down to place a soft kiss on the commander's lips. It was an action that the rest of the crew had gotten used to by now.

"Jeez, get a _room_, will ya?" Well, almost...


	9. Ghosts of the Past

Primal Hunter  
>by: Takashidaimao<br>Chapter 9: Ghosts of the Past

* * *

><p>Rattrap sat at his station, brow plates furrowed at the screen in front of him. He turned a data disk over repeatedly in his hand, a habit now every time he found himself thinking about how everything seemed to have crumbled away from under the Maximals' feet. Their ship was all but scrap, the bridge being one of the only structures left intact enough to remain functional. The Preds, once overrun with incompetent idiots, now had more firepower than they knew what to do with. Megatron had almost succeeded in destroying the original Optimus, and didn't seem like he was about to give up on that goal any time soon. But worse than all that was how many of their friends they'd lost in the past few months. Dinobot, Airazor, Tigertron... they were all dead. And Gorgonus... He didn't even want to think about what happened to that poor kid. It had taken him long enough to convince Cheetor to get over it. The scout had been there when the Axalon fell, and was forced to watch as the little bot's pod smashed against the rocks in the canyon below.<p>

And what of their fearless leader? Needless to say, he was taking everything a bit harder than the rest of them. Who could blame him? He'd just lost his mate, and now his son. As if that wasn't bad enough, Megatron had added insult to injury by cloning Dinobot again, and even managed to make this one meaner and more bloodthirsty than the original had ever been. Still, the rat supposed Optimus was doing a good job of staying focused through all that crap. A lesser bot would have cracked under the pressure long ago.

"Rattrap, status report." Well, speak of the devil... The rat stowed the data disk in a compartment on the inside of his 'shell', turning to face the commander. "All clear, Boss Monkey. Ain't a Pred in sight." he replied, doing his best to sound as chipper as possible. One of them had to at least. The hulking bot gave a nod. "Good. Maybe Megatron will give us a chance to rest for once..." He paused, mulling his previous statement over in his head. "Keep scanning the area. I'll have Silverbolt relieve you in an hour. I'll be with Rhinox if you need me." Rattrap gave Optimus an exaggerated salute before turning back to his work.

"Whoa, hold that thought, fearless leader. Looks like you an' big green might have ta hold off on yer play date. We got us a flyin' flounder comin' in hot. My guess is he's here ta see you?" Optimus could be heard letting out a reluctant groan. Depthcharge. Great. He was long overdue for a round of 'what the slag did I do this time'. That ray has had it out for Optimus ever since Rampage trashed his colony. And if anything ever went wrong in his hunt for the psychopathic crab, you can be sure Depthcharge would find some way to pin the blame on the Maximal leader. Unfortunately, this was one of the many times that ignoring the problem would inevitably make it worse. "You'd better let him in..."

As Optimus predicted, Depthcharge looked absolutely furious as he marched inside the base, all of his anger directed rather blatantly towards the commander. No big shocker there. What caught him off guard was the numerous holes punched through the ray's hull. It looked like he'd been caught on the wrong side of the shooting range. "What happened? Are you alright?" he asked, concern apparent in his voice despite the fact that he knew it wouldn't be appreciated. He was right, of course. "Funny. That's what I came to ask you." The ray grumbled, pointing as acusatory finger his way. "Would you care to explain to me why I just spent the last four hours trying to shake a _Maximal _sniper off my trail?" Optimus' brow plates furrowed. Well, that certainly was a new one. "I beg your pardon?" he asked hesitantly, earning a gruff scoff from the ray. "What's wrong, Primal? That fancy upgrade of yours burn out your audio sensors? I said one of your men just shot the living slag outta me!"

Optimus folded his massive arms over his chest. "Surely there must be some mistake. None of us has left this area all day." It was true. He didn't have the manpower to spare on patrols anymore, so he had to change his strategy to mainly defense, especially since their new base guarded the Ark. Optimus could tell from the look on Depthcharge's face that he wouldn't take an excuse like that right now. "Did you happen to see who it was at all?" The ray seemed to hesitate before answering. "No. He stayed up on higher ground, under cover of the trees. But whoever it was had a Maximal energy signature! And unless you know if some other Maximal military unit hiding around here, I got no choice but to think it was one of you!" Actually, they were originally a research team, but that was beyond arguing at this point. What mattered was that there was an unknown Maximal signature out there, and whoever it was seemed openly hostile. "I'll look into the matter immediately, if only to prove to you that my team had nothing to do with this. Would you be willing to come along?"

"Why? To clean up after _another_ of your messes? I'll give you the coordinates where I last saw him, but other than that you're on your own, Primal." After giving the Maximal leader what little information he was willing to give, Depthcharge stormed out no more confident that the problem would be solved than when he'd arrived. Optimus vented a sigh before turning to face Rattrap. "Have Cheetor and Silverbolt meet me at the gate. The last thing we need right now is for a renegade sniper to go unchecked, be it Maximal or Predacon..."

"That might not be tha greatest plan ya ever had there, Fearless Leader..." Rattrap warned. Optimus narrowed his optics, at which point the rat quickly aimed to explain himself. "Hey, no offense intended, big guy. It's just... Yer goin' after a sniper, right? A good Cybertronian sniper with tha right gun can hit a target the size of a fly from half a mile away. You think he'll have any trouble gettin' his sights on a two story tall orange and blue gorilla like you?" The commander furrowed his brow plates once again. It was a valid point. They'd be hunting down a precision shooter, one who specializes in stealth warfare. He would only serve to make the group a waking target. No, to catch this new foe, they had to be able to hide right under his nose. And it seemed he had just the bot for the job.

* * *

><p>"Aw man... Why'd I hafta go an' open my big mouth..." Rattrap grumbled to himself as he followed behind the other two. Cheetor could be heard snickering to himself before glancing back over his shoulder. "Hey, you're supposed to be the hot shot sharpshooter here. Isn't that just as good as any sniper?" he teased, earning a grumble from the rat. That kid sure developed one hell of an attitude since becoming a transmetal 2. Or maybe it was just puberty kicking in finally. Silverbolt, who'd remained on foot with the other two as to not give their position away by air, shook his head at Cheetor. "Optimus wouldn't have sent Rattrap if he didn't think he was capable of taking on this rogue. We should trust his judgement."<p>

It was dark by the time the group arrived at the area where Depthcharge first encountered the sniper, the pale light of the full moon illuminating the tree tops. It was a heavily wooded area with plenty of high ground surrounding the lower valley. There weren't many gaps in the tree cover, so they stayed to the low lands for the time being. Rattrap transformed to his robot mode, a long rifle already in his hands. "Alright, here's tha plan, guys. I'll play lookout down here. When he fires off a shot, I'll zero in on his location an' relay tha coordinates ta Cheetor. Yer fast enough ya get to him before he has a chance ta find a new perch." The feline nodded in acknowledgement of the plan. Silverbolt merely shook his head. "And I suppose you're expecting him to just start firing at nothing?"

"I'm beginning to question Optimus' judgement..." the wolf grumbled to himself as he glided uncomfortably over the dense forest. He now saw why he wasn't mentioned in the initial rundown of their strategy; he was the bait. "Hey, Fido! Would ya at least try ta look like yer on patrol or somethin'? He ain't gonna fire if ya look like ya want him to!" Rattrap barked over the com link. The rat watched the fuzor through the scope of his rifle, occasionally scanning the darkened horizon for signs of movement. He was starting to get antsy. They'd been at this for almost an hour, and it was getting harder for them to look like they were out there for any other reason than to draw out their target. Eventually he vented out a sigh, lowering his firearm. "Ah, screw it... If he was gonna shoot ya he'd have done it by now. Come on back. Time ta pack it up an' tell tha big ape we lost him." Silverbolt wasn't about to a argue the point, glad that he no longer had to fly around doing his best impression of a game fowl in the middle of hunting season. Rattrap turned to Cheetor, who'd been standing by until the sniper fired. "Man, I'm startin' ta think old Charlie Tuna sent us out here as a joke or-"

The rat was cut off by a loud thunder clap from behind him. He spun around in time to watch Silverbolt plummet to the ground. He immediately grabbed his rifle, peering through the scope and scanning the general direction where he thought the shot came from. "Cheetor! Go make sure tha flyin' pooch hasn't kicked tha bucket in us!" Rattrap ordered, the feline taking off almost immediately towards where the wolf fell. Within seconds, there was a report. "He's okay, but it looks like his wing's gonna be out of commission for a while." The rat vented a sigh of relief. Thank the Matrix... Of course, the instant he thought he could relax was the instant he was proven wrong. There was another shot fired, accompanied by the sound of shattering glass. Rattrap was thrown backwards, slamming against the trunk of a tree. By the time he was able to pull himself back up to his feet Cheetor was already sprinting up to him. "Hey! Are you okay?" the scout shouted. Rattrap didn't reply. Instead, he snatched up his rifle from the ground, inspecting it closely. The scope was ruined, but that was a given. He paid close attention to how it had shattered, what direction the bullet seemed to be traveling. He then recalled the direction and angle he'd been looking at the exact moment he heard the shot. "Vector thirty-seven, fourteen, oh nine!" Rattrap shouted out suddenly, catching Cheetor off guard. He tilted his head slightly, earning an impatient grumble from the rat. "Waddaya waitin' for! Get after 'im before he takes off!" "O-oh! Right!" Cheetor replied before sprinting off towards the designated coordinates. After the scout sped off, Rattrap collapsed into a sitting position, rubbing the back of his neck. "Jeez... I think I've been doin' this way too long..."

Cheetor rocketed up the mountain face, the jet on his back trailing flames behind him. At top speed it took only seconds for him to reach his destination. As he circled around to approach the cliff's edge, a blackened figure came into view. This was it! No time to stop, no time to slow down, the feline tackled into the figure, sending the two of them tumbling down the cliff to the valley below. Cheetor could only make out flashes of silvery chrome in a sea of black as the bot struggled to get away. Once they came to a stop on level ground, the feline pinned the bot against the ground. The black figure never stopped his struggling, trying desperately to claw his way out from under the saber-toothed cat. "Hey, take it easy! We don't want to hurt you." Cheetor assured. Miraculously, his prisoner seemed to calm down, giving the Maximal his first good look at the sniper. His eyes widened. "No way... That's impossible!"

* * *

><p>Optimus couldn't help but stare in slack-jawed amazement as his away team escorted their prisoner in. He was pitch black from head to toe, broken up only by the occasional chrome accent. His face was especially eerie, the surface so dark one could hardly make out any of the features of his face, save for his two bright red optics. There were hundreds of long strips of hexagonal panels layered over each other draped down his back, almost like a tattered cloak. This cloak seemed to provide the bulk of his mass, as his frame was short and very thin, similar to Blackarachnia's body type before she upgraded to transmetal. Strange, since he appeared to be male otherwise. All of that seemed to pale in comparison to one particular feature, though. Running down over his shoulders all the way down to the bottom of his chest plates were several dozen silvery cords.<p>

"So... What should we do with 'Bot Marley' here?" Rattrap asked hesitantly, snapping the commander out of his daze. He was so much at a loss for words that he didn't reprimand the rat for making a joke about this mysterious bot's appearance. It couldn't possibly be who he thought it was... Could it? After a moment, it seemed Optimus' ability to speak finally returned to him. "Bring him to the bridge. I want Rhinox to check him out as soon as possible."

The science officer responded immediately when he was told the situation. Within minutes, they had the prisoner in the large scanner at the center of the bridge. Much to their surprise, he didn't put up a fight at all when asked to do something. There was a vibe that he didn't fully understand what was happening, but was otherwise silently obedient. Rattrap had reported similar behavior out in the field. They didn't have to restrain him to bring him back to base, all they had to do was tell him to follow. Even as Rhinox began his tests, the black bot merely glanced around curiously, never uttering a word. After a while, Rhinox shook his head. "I don't believe it..." he mumbled aloud before looking up at Optimus. "It seems impossible, but... There's no doubt about it. It's him."

Optimus, still in absolute shock, approached the scanner table as it slowly titled upwards, allowing the patient to climb out. As soon as the Maximal leader came into view, a small smile spread across his abyssal face, silver fangs standing out against the pitch darkness. The ape couldn't help but smile back. "Gorgonus... So it really is you..." he said softly, extending a hand out to the bot. Gorgonus happily grabbed a hold off one of his father's massive fingers, allowing himself to be pulled up to his feet. Cheetor, who'd been standing off to the side with the others, shook his head. "There's no way that's him! I saw Gorgonus' pod smash into a thousand pieces when Megatron took out the Axalon! Not to mention the fact that he's only supposed to be a year old!"

"I know. Trust me, I've looked at every possibility, but there's no way even Megatron can copy a spark's unique signature, and his matches Gorgonus' exactly." Rhinox explained, still going over the results of his scans. "As for his age, well... Megatron might have something to do with that one. There's a program in his core data tracks that seems to have accelerated his body's growth. It's just junk data at this point, but it looks like it had lied dormant in his systems until given the right signal. Megatron must have installed it when he captured Dinobot before he was born and must have activated it just before he destroyed the Axalon." Optimus nodded slowly in understanding. "That explains why we couldn't find any trace of his body in the wreckage. He was able to escape before the crash."

"Whoa, whoa, hold up... You tryin' ta tell me that Megs went outta his way ta save his worst enemy's son, _and_ gave him an age boost so he can fight? What, he thinks we suck so bad we need an extra guy as a handicap?" Rattrap interjected, folding arms over chest plate. Megatron may have had some crackpot strategies in the past, but this was by far the stupidest he'd ever heard of. Rhinox shook his head again. "I have no idea why he would do something like this. Maybe he tried to install his shell program, but Gorgonus overrode it just like when he turned his weapons online without clearance."

To that, Blackarachnia could be heard letting out a scoff. "No offense or anything, but this kid doesn't look like he could override a _calculator_, much less _Megatron's_ programming. Was he always this... _special?_" Cheetor had to stifle a snicker at that one. Optimus looked down at Gorgonus, who gave him what had to be the blankest look he'd ever seen. Okay, there was some truth to the statement. Once again, it was Rhinox to the rescue. "Megatrons program may have accelerated his physical growth, but he still only has what little knowledge and experience he had when he was last put into stasis. There's nothing wrong with him mentally, he just doesn't have the knowledge and skills one develops as they grow up."

"Great. So now we gotta babysit this six foot fall toddler on top of fighting the Preds? And here I thought this place looked like a daycare _before_..." Optimus shot Blackarachnia a glare. Unfortunately, he couldn't deny the truth in her statement once again. It was the same situation as before, only this time his son appeared older. He vented a sigh. "Rhinox, do we still have that stasis pod in the cargo hold?" he asked reluctantly. Almost immediately, Rattrap stepped forward. "Hey, wait a minute! We get the kid back after thinkin' he's dead, and you wanna put him on ice again?"

"I don't _want_ to, but I've got no choice." he began predictably, something Rattrap didn't want to hear. "C'mon, I've seen 'im out there. He's a crack shot! He can hold his own against tha Preds, I know it! Can't ya give him a chance at least?" Optimus shook his head. "From what I've heard, his skills are the last thing I should be questioning. But he's still just a child, mentally at least. He wouldn't understand what he's doing if we sent him out there to fight, even if he's an excellent sniper. I couldn't possibly ask him to do that."

There was a long silence. Rattrap ended up staring at his feet, the look on his face making it clear that he didn't agree with such a course of action. Optimus could sympathize. This was the last thing he'd wanted to do, but he really didn't have a choice. He refused to let Gorgonus share the same fate as Transmutate. Eventually, Optimus nodded towards Rhinox before making his way down towards the cargo holds. Gorgonus followed behind his father automatically, Rhinox bringing up the rear. As the three of them disappeared around the corner, Rattrap pulled out the data disk he'd been looking at earlier. Would it even work? And even if it would, was it the right thing to do? "What would you do if you were still here, Choppaface?" he thought aloud, turning the disk over in his hand.

Suddenly, the rat took off at a sprint, running to catch up with the other three. As soon as he caught up, he trotted up to Optimus' side. "Hey, if there was some way ta bring his mind up ta speed with his body, there shouldn't be any reason to keep him locked up, right?" he asked hastily. The ape stared down at the rat, brow plate raised. What was he up to this time? Rhinox had jogged up to join the two of them by now, curious to hear what scheme Rattrap was cooking up. "I'm not about to _reprogram_ my son just so he can fight our war. I know it seems wrong to throw him into stasis, but you've got to understand it's for his own good."

"I'm not talkin' about reprogramin' him, just... Kinda buffin' up his data tracks with someone else's." Rattrap explained, earning a snort from Rhinox. "And you think uploading _your_ data tracks will make this any better?" Optimus had to stifle a chuckle at that. The last thing they needed was another Rattrap. The rat shook his head. "No, not _mine!"_ he retorted before pulling out that data disk again. "What if I told ya I had a copy of _Dinobot's_ data tracks?" He couldn't help but smirk as he watched the other two bots' jaws drop. "_What?_ Where did you get that?" Optimus shouted out, unsure if he should be delighted that a trace of his mate had somehow survived, or infuriated that Rattrap had kept it from him. The smaller bot jumped back a bit, afraid for a moment that the commander would kill him. "Well... It was in the computer's backup memory. Choppaface musta uploaded it just before he died. The only catch is... _This_ is the only copy. The original was deleted automatically when I made it..."

Optimus still couldn't believe it. Every memory Dinobot had, every moment they'd shared was right there in that disk. This was his chance to have his mate back, but... Did he really want to sacrifice his son's personality for that? He glanced over towards... "Wait... Where'd he go?" Rattrap turned around to find nothing but an empty passageway behind him. Oh great. The kid flew the coop.

* * *

><p>It was still dark out by the time Gorgonus made it back to the valley. His father had gotten distracted by one of the other Maximals, affording him the opportunity to go back and retrieve his rifle. The saber-toothed cat had knocked it from his hands when he was tackled. Soon enough, he found what he was looking for. At first glance, it looked more like a sword than a gun. It was a huge blade, just as long as he was tall and nearly a foot across. The blade was split down the middle where the barrel of the rifle was hidden. As the black bot grabbed the hilt of the weapon, the blade snapped shut over the rifle barrel, concealing it completely. He placed the sword in its sheath, which was hidden under the cloak of hexagonal panels on his back.<p>

He was all set to return back to base when he heard movement behind him. He turned, catching sight of a skeletal raptor as it emerged from the brushes. They stood there for a long moment, frozen in time as they stared at each other. Suddenly, the raptor turned away, walking off into the woods once again. Gorgonus let a content smile spread across his face before following behind the Predacon warrior without a second thought. Dinobot glanced behind him, red optics narrowed back at the black bot. So, Megatron was right. The fool really _would_ follow him. Fortunate, but... He hadn't the faintest idea why this Maximal would do such a thing...


End file.
